NI VISA e Ubuntu Linux

[mpizzo]

Dear all,

I am trying to install Ni VISA on a Ubuntu (Lucid) machine (kernel 2.6.32-28-generic-pae) following the instructions here http://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-11652 or http://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-6742.

I want to use Python and PyVISA to read a gpib instruments (an agilent multimeter).

The instructions above are not very easy to follow but I managed to get through them.

However when I try to start NIPAL:

/etc/init.d/nipal start

I get:

FATAL: Error inserting nipalk (/lib/modules/2.6.32-28-generic-pae/kernel/natinst/nipal/nipalk.ko): Kernel does not have module support
error: nipalk failed to load
possible causes: 
   nipalk was not versioned for this kernel (2.6.32-28-generic-pae)
   modules are not enabled for this kernel (CONFIG_MODULES)
   unresolved symbols
possible solution: 
   if you recently installed a new kernel or have rebooted to
   a different kernel then you were previously running then run
   /usr/local/bin/updateNIDrivers
   to version your NI drivers for kernel 2.6.32-28-generic-pae

Running updateNIDrivers does not help.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Marco

[2verb]

I think I would see if modprobe was installed and if there are any modules in the kernal.

modprobe -l

will give you a list of installed modules.

[mpizzo]

modprobe -l gives a huge list of modules.

nipalk.ko is there

[2verb]

I made a mistake with modprobe -l

This shows what modules are present on the system as files, but not what ones are loaded by the kernel.

For that you want lsmod

Presumably lsmod does not show nipalk.ko?

Possibly you do not have the right kernel headers set up? One of the instruction documents you link to says to install a specific kernel header set. Did you install that set or the set for the kernel you have?