Hello,
This is my log file to install NI-VISA and Py-VISA on Ubuntu 10.04. This log is the compilation of one day of frustration!!
Although it is not very difficult... I am not a specialist and it always takes me some effort to go back to this level of details.
Installation of NI software will always be a pain and Linux users should really think twice about the choice of their distirbution
(see the end of this message where I recently switched to Scientific Linux for peace of mind).
I do it mainly for back compatibility purpose but thankfully I am not in a critical situation as those who are running labview.
I only need it as an abstraction layer in python (great way to interface work).
Installation of NI-GPIB 488 and VISA on Ubuntu 10.04
STEP 1: PREPARATION
######### Download the software #################
get NI-VISA-5.0.0.iso
NOTE: The NI-488 gpib driver is useless (only compile w/ Kernel 2.2)
NI-488.2 2.3 - Linux - 32 Bit
Download the iso
extract the files inside the iso using archive software
nivisa-5.0.0f1.tar.gz
############# install the linux source ###########
sudo apt-get install linux-source-2.6.32
############## usefull doc #####################
STEP 2: GPIB and PyVISA
######### install linux gpib driver ############
!! Attention it might not install w/ recent kernel version: tested w/ 2.6.32-21, does not work w/ 2.6.32-27
get the Kernel 2.6 source version (linux-headers)
(read the INSTALL)
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
tar zxvf linux-gpib-3.2.11.tar.gz2
./configure
make
sudo make install
################# install pyvisa ###############
PyVISA-1.3
sudo apt-get install ipython
sudo ./setup.py install
#### DO NOT TRY to INSTALL the binary of PyVISA #####
STEP 3: NI-VISA
tar zxvf nivisa-5.0.0f1.tar.gz
################ install nikal ##################
cd rpms
sudo alien -k --scripts nikali-2.0.0-f0.noarch.rpm
sudo dpkg -i nikali_2.0.0-f0_all.deb
cd /usr/local/natinst/nikal/bin/
#check that: cat /etc/natinst/nikal/nikal.dir -> /usr/local/natinst/nikal
sudo echo '/usr/local/natinst/nikal' > /etc/natinst/nikal/nikal.dir
# NI-shell files require modifications to work w/ bash. $1 must be append at the end
# Here is a simple bash file to modify it:
# create a shell file w/ your favorite editor (in my case emacs). The new file name will be modshell.sh
emacs -nw /usr/local/nikal/bin/modshell.sh
# insert in modshell.sh the following 3 lines (diregard the > chraracter at the beginning of each line, its purpose is
to indicate that you are working inside a file):
>#!/bin/bash
>cat $1 | sed '$a$1' > tmp; mv tmp $1
>sudo chmod u+x $1
# the file should have executable privilege chmod u+x /usr/local/nikal/bin/modshell.sh
sudo ./modshell.sh nikaliInstallerUtility.sh
# The file nikalKernelInstaller.sh seems also to need a modification
> replace the line parseArguments $* by parseArguments $@
sudo ln -s /bin/bash /bin/sh
sudo ./nikaliInstallerUtility.sh nikaliPostInstall
sudo ./updateNIDrivers
sudo modprobe nikal
# force the nikal module to load at boot. Add
# "nikal" to the file in /etc/modules
sudo depmod -a
################ install nipal ##################
sudo dpkg -i nipalki_2.5.4-f0_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i nipali_2.5.4-f0_i386.deb
NB: make sure /etc/natinst/nipal/nipal.dir: /usr/local/natinst/nipal
sudo echo '/usr/local/natinst/nipal' > /etc/natinst/nipal/nipal.dir
cd /usr/local/natinst/nipal/bin
# modify the shell file (see above)
# The file palModuleMgr.sh seems also to need a modification
> replace the line parseArguments $* by parseArguments $@
sudo /usr/local/nikal/bin/./modshell.sh nipalkiInstallerUtility.sh
sudo ./nipalkiInstallerUtility.sh nipalkiPostInstall
# alternative you can run directly
sudo ./palModuleMgr.sh -i -o linux:dir=nipal -t kernelDriver -s demand -c -f /usr/local/natinst/nipal/src/objects/nipalk-unversioned.o
sudo modprobe nipalk
sudo depmod -a
sudo /etc/init.d/nipal restart
################ check modules ##################
Ensure that the nipal kernel module is created in /lib/modules/<kernel-headers>/kernel/natinst/nipal/nipal.ko
Start the application bum (System -> Administration -> Bootup Manager). Search for nipal and click on the checkbox to activate it at boot. Right click on nipal and select the "Start Now" option.
######################### NI-VISA #############
sudo dpkg -i nivisak_5.0.0-b5_i386.deb nivisa_5.0.0-b5_i386.deb
cat /etc/natinst/vxipnp/nivisa.dir -> /usr/local/vxipnp
cat /etc/natinst/vxipnp/vxipnp.dir -> /usr/local/vxipnp
# run the post install software; either modify the shell file as above
# for some reason the following 2 lines needs also to be added to the shell files on top of the above modifications
>nipalDir="`cat /etc/natinst/nipal/nipal.dir`"
>palModuleMgr="$nipalDir"/bin/palModuleMgr.sh
sudo usr/local/nikal/bin/modshell.sh nivisakInstallerUtility.sh
sudo usr/local/nikal/bin/modshell.sh nivisaInstallerUtility.sh
sudo ./nivisakInstallerUtility.sh nivisakPostInstall
sudo ./nivisaInstallerUtility.sh nivisaPostInstal
# or run directly the postinstall command inside the file
sudo /usr/local/natinst/nipal/bin/palModuleMgr.sh -i -o linux:dir=vxipnp -t kernelDriver -s demand -c -f /usr/local/vxipnp/src/objects/NiViPciK-unversioned.o
sudo /usr/local/natinst/nipal/bin/palModuleMgr.sh -i -o linux:dir=vxipnp -t kernelDriver -s demand -c -f /usr/local/vxipnp/src/objects/NiViPxiK-unversioned.o
sudo updateNIDrivers
################# complement modules #############
# generic procedure
sudo alien -k xxx-version.rpm
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite xxx_version_i386.deb
cd /usr/local/natinst/xxx/
# modify the shell xxxInstallerUtility.sh
sudo /usr/local/nikal/bin/modshell.sh xxxInstallerUtility.sh
sudo ./xxxInstallerUtility.sh xxxPostInstall
#
sudo alien -k niorbi-1.9.3-f0.i386.rpm
sudo alien -k nidimi-1.10.0-f0.i386.rpm
sudo alien -k nirpci-4.2.0-f0.i386.rpm
sudo alien -k nimdnsresponder-1.1.0-f3.i386.rpm
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite niorbi_1.9.3-f0_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite nidimi_1.10.0-f0_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite nirpci_4.2.0-f0_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite nimdnsresponder_1.1.0-f3_i386.deb
sudo updateNIdrivers
sudi reboot
visaconf
NOTE: My PyVISA seems broken!
>>> import visa
>>> visa.get_instruments_list()
['ASRL1']
### No gpib devices!!!!
>>> keithley = visa.instrument("GPIB::12")
It could not find the proper library VI_ERROR_LIBRARY_NFOUND: A code library required by VISA could not be located or loaded. I tried both to compile PyVISA w/ pyhton2.5 or python2.6: same problem! If someone has a feedback experience about it, comments are welcome!
Update of the problem (Jan 12 2011): after extensive search I am convinced that there is a bug in the module NiViPciK inside nivisa 5.0. It does not recognize PCI gpib device !!! Seems like there is some miscommunication w/ the Kernel.
Update (Jan 17 2011): after a long search around the problem, I decided to give up on Ubuntu and I gave it a try to Scientific Linux latest release 6.0. Amazing: it works right out of the box! What a change with the Ubuntu ordeal. Could even succeed to put my latest python package. Well I think that I am going to stick to SL environment for data acquistion. This is for me a rediscovery of Red Hat (my first Linux environement ... back in 94) after some infidelities w/ Slackware, then Debian, a little passage through Libranet and a rather long fidelity to Ubuntu, well it is a pleasant surprise. I discovered the famous yum, which did not exist half a decade ago back when rpms could be scarry: you could send your system to oblivion w/ rpms. First impression, it seems now on par with apt-get. At least with SL6.0 I get a pretty decent environment w/ python 2.6. High five to the SL 6.0 team! Morality, it is way easier to change distribution then try to force the NiVISA encapsulation in Linux.
