NI Package Builder 19.6.1 available

[Scott_Richardson]

There is a new version of NI Package Builder available to download or in NIPM. New features include:

1. Support including TestStand source and binary files specified by the LabVIEW Override Module Settings window.
2. Build package installers that include products from package installers built with Package Manager 19.6 and later.
3. Package Builder saves pane layout when closed and restores pane layout on launch, and you can go to Edit»Reset Window Layout to restore the default layout.

Refer to NI Package Builder 19.6 Bug Fixes for list of bugs fixed, and NI Package Builder 19.6 Known Issues for list of known issues not yet fixed.

[CL_eisenwr]

Only the offline installer is currently working for 19.6.1. The Online error cannot find the package to install. With NIPB 19.6.0 installed, NIPM's Browse Products does not show that it is installed. Clicking Install also returns an error.

Online Installer errorNIPM Browse Products Install error

[Scott_Richardson]

Bill, I cannot reproduce your issue. Questions:

1. What OS and bitness are you using?
2. Do you have TestStand 2019 installed, and if so, what bitness?
3. What version of NIPB was on the system before installing NIPB 19.6.1?
4. Can you share any NIPkgLog_*.txt files from the below directory at the time of the failure that might have captured the error?
   • C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\National Instruments\NI Package Manager\Logs\NIPkgLogs\

[CL_eisenwr]

1. This is in a VM running Windows 10 version 1903 (64-bit)
2. I have TestStand 2017 (32-bit) and TestStand 2019 f1 (64-bit) installed
3. NI Package Builder 19.6.0 is installed.
4. Logs are attached

I also just tested on fresh Windows 10 VM without any NI software. I get the same online installer error when just install NI Package Manager 19.6 and attempt to install NIPB via Browse Products. Logs are attached as well.

[Scott_Richardson · Accepted solution]

Bill, I believe that the issue is that we did not fully flush the packages because 19.6.1 updates an existing feed (19.6). I have initiated that update and this should fix the issue once complete. Thank you for reporting and for the further testing.

[CL_eisenwr]

Thanks for looking into this. I can confirm that it is fixed, as I saw NI Package Builder listed in my Updates tab on another machine this morning.

[_Ross_]

This installer appears to have a bug related to the install switches.

I haven't been able to track down what's causing it, but the installer will not accept some of the switches on some machines.

The command:

`.\Install.exe --force-essential --prevent-reboot --accept-eulas --progress-only`

will work on some machines, but not others. Windows 10.

For instance, on a machine where the above command fails, if you also try `Install.exe --help` you will get no help menu, but just the EULA acceptance screen.

If you try `Install.exe --help --accept-eulas`, a user will get past the eula screen (so the command is getting through), but no help will be available.

It may be related, but I disabled fastboot and have not rebooted yet. This is part of an automated install, so it is crucial that your package manager install as advertised.

[JoshuaP]

I maybe off base, but Microsoft requires that some systems reboot after installing .NET before .NET applications can run.  NI Package Manager is .NET based, so it is possible that the systems that are having issues don't have .NET installed or have a really old version of .NET that doesn't allow upgrades without a reboot. 

Note, I've never been able to figure out why MS sometimes requires a reboot and sometimes doesn't for the .NET.

If you have a system that is consistency having issues can you try to pre-install .NET Framework 4.6.2 first and then see if you continue to have issues.

[_Ross_]

Yeah, I thought about that as well. I did try a reboot, and same result: the command line options for help and silent install have no effect.

I also pulled the same ISO (using the offline installer) into another VM, one that has been reboot many times, and saw the same problem.

On my host machine, everything works as expected where the install is silent and the help menu comes up, so potentially this is related to the installer being used on a VM -- in this case Hyper-V.

The only difference I can see is that my host machine has .NET 4.8, and the VM has .NET 4.7.2. So, I installed .NET 4.8 and restarted the VM. The NI installer still does not respond correctly to its switches.

[JoshuaP]

If you are using a VM it is very likely you are using an old snapshot without all of the standard OS patches.  Try installing all of the Windows updates, reboot, save the snapshot and then try the install.