Integrating code onto NI Linux Real-Time targets

[cbuck]

This paper describes how to deploy third-party software on the NI Linux Real-Time target.  To read about ways of interacting with code on targets which support the NI Linux® Real-Time operating system, see our paper here.

Given the vast ecosystem of Linux based tools, NI offers very limited support and cannot provide much assistance with specifics of 3rd party community tools in Linux. Note that AE support will require a factory reset, which will eliminate any Linux customizations. You should still feel empowered to innovate and explore the NI Linux RT-based hardware platforms and the NI Linux® Real-Time operating system. You can always reformat these targets and revert to factory-default state.  We recommend you revalidate your application after modification to the system to ensure your application still meets your requirements.

When adding additional software to your NI Linux Real-Time system you should first check if it exists in the opkg repositories. If available in the package repository, using the system package manager to install desired software is the easiest method of deploying and maintaining such software. In order to use the opkg repositories the feed must be uncommented from the opkg base repository feed configuration file. See this tutorial for an example of how to install software using opkg.

If you wish to install software from C/C++ source code then you will need to cross-compile the software.  This code can then be installed and run on the target.  For documentation on using C/C++ on NI Linux Real-Time see Getting Started with C/C++ Development Tools for NI Linux Real-Time, Eclipse Edition.

Beyond C/C++ code, scripts are another common way for developers to accomplish common computer tasks.  For example you can use Python to effectively manage files in a directory. To use these languages or install software that uses interpreted languages, you will need to install the proper interpreter. If the interpreter exists within the opkg repository then install it with opkg. Otherwise, the interpreter must be built with the cross-compiler and subsequently installed on the system.

In some instances software will require modifications at the kernel level. We recommend that these types of solutions should be avoided whenever possible, and we encourage you to strongly consider user mode solutions. If a kernel modification is necessary, then you would need to obtain the kernel source from github.com/ni. You would then need to build your software against the kernel. Then you would need to rebuild or modify the kernel accordingly. Making kernel mode changes is very complex, whether adding a kernel module or modifying the kernel itself.

[SaraGr]

For documentation on using C/C++ on NI Linux Real-Time see **link**.

The link is missing, just FYI.

[ScotSalmon]

Fixed, thanks.