Memory Stick Install of LV7.0 app using NullSoft

[jbrohan]

I am posting the results of some efforts to get a LV 7.0 compiles program to run on a USB stick. This article shows the scripts and the folder contents, which compile with the excellent Nullsoft software to make a Zip executable which installs the software. The USB stick can be used on an unknown computer running XP or Vista (tested) which does or does not have LabVIEW installed.

Where to get Nullsoft

http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page

Rationale.

My program relates to images used in medical diagnosis of wound infection and healing. Doctors wander between clinics and either they take the data with them in a memory stick, or they use a complex network.

Script

The script used is in the file Script.zip it is a simple text file.

Installer

The Nullsoft folder contents are in the FolderContents.zip. These include the lvrt and the dlls that are needed for this graphic oriented program. The cookbook approach is for you to replace wounds.exe with your own blabla.exe and the complie should work OK. I update the program by using this directrory as the target of the build.

To execute the installer compiler, run the nullsoft software and load the .nsi file from the folder contents and in a couple of minutes there is an installer.exe ready to be tested or uploaded to the distribution site.

Problems..

1 It's easier to get the autorun.inf to run if it is all in the root directory of the memory stick. Nullsoft installer will not install to the root directory. I just installed it to a temporary folder on the memory stick and then moved it to the root, deleting the temp folder.

If you use the action= parameter in the autorun.inf file on many XP computers the list of options on detecting a new USB memory stick includes the wounds.exe program.

U3. These memory sticks are sold at a discount. They have two drives and are rather confusing to naïve users. It works fine though, when you get to the right volume.

Test the install yourself… http://www.tradersmicro.com/WoundFollowUp/...structions.html

Yours Sincerely

John

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE(jbrohan @ Jun 18 2007, 11:04 AM)

U3. These memory sticks are sold at a discount. They have two drives and are rather confusing to naïve users. It works fine though, when you get to the right volume.

If you need every bit of space on the USB drive and DON'T need U3, you can http://www.u3.com/uninstall/' target="_blank">get a utility that will remove U3. It will also remove everything else on the USB stick, so its best to do this only on a new device.

[Yair]

So, what's the difference from what we discussed here?

Why do you need a third party installer?

[ars_stowers]

QUOTE(yen @ Jun 18 2007, 01:42 PM)

So, what's the difference from what we discussed http://forums.lavag.org/index.php?showtopic=6567&pid=25521&st=0&' target="_blank">here?

Why do you need a third party installer?

Just a guess, but maybe he thinks the NI installer is slow/horrible/limited/select one of the above? There are a lot of things that I wish that I could do with NI's installer, but have turned to NSIS for. Examples: creating config files at runtime, giving users multiple installation types, running code during the installation, making small installers, easier registry management, automated installer building, etc. In general, I've just found NI's installer to be not quite as good as other solutions out there. Plus, NSIS is open source, which is quite nice for those of us that care about such things.

[jbrohan]

QUOTE(yen @ Jun 18 2007, 02:42 PM)

So, what's the difference from what we discussed http://forums.lavag.org/index.php?showtopic=6567&pid=25521&st=0&' target="_blank">here?

Why do you need a third party installer?

Hello Yen

I should have referenced your contribution to the USB project. My post was made in the throes of "tidying up the project" before moving on to something else.

This thread meant just as an example of how to do it. The NullSoft installer can install icons and it assembles very neatly all the components to allow ordinary people to install it.

Thank you again for your help. It is deeply appreciated, and I'm sorry I did not acknowledge you properly

John

[Yair]

I didn't care about the acknowledgement, I simply really do not understand the need for an installer.

Is placing the LV RTE in a folder THAT complicated or does the installer do other things as well?

What I did in the past was an experiment, so I didn't dig deep into this, but I believe in the near future I will need to do this, so I definitely appreciate the details. It simply didn't strike me as being complicated.

QUOTE(ars_stowers @ Jun 19 2007, 01:37 AM)

Edit: I just reread my post this morning and realized I sound like an incredibly arrogant jerk!

No, that sounds reasonable. NI's installer definitely is far from a complete one (at least the 7.x one, I don't have any experience with the 8.x one) and I don't see any problems with your language.

[Rolf Kalbermatter]

QUOTE(yen @ Jun 19 2007, 04:18 PM)

I didn't care about the acknowledgement, I simply really do not understand the need for an installer.

Is placing the LV RTE in a folder THAT complicated or does the installer do other things as well?

What I did in the past was an experiment, so I didn't dig deep into this, but I believe in the near future I will need to do this, so I definitely appreciate the details. It simply didn't strike me as being complicated.

I do this for the Autorun program on CDs that installs my application (whose installer does use the normal NI installer technology). Basically it depends on the LabVIEW version but I use for this 7.1 and need following files:

dir

autorun.exe obviously my LabVIEW autorun program

autorun.ini just for having the HideRootWindow=True

lvapp.rsc

lvrt.dll

mesa.dll Probably only necessary since I use the "modern" 3D controls there

vidialog.rsc

models

box_inc.ptc This is the graphics definition for the modern 3D buttons that are used

Obviously if you go and use other 3D controls you will have to include more files from the models directory. Other things that could be necessary are lvstring.rsc (LabVIEW error messages and many more), lvobject.rsc (for other LabVIEW controls), lvpng.dll and lvjpeg.dll if you make use of jpeg or png functionality, lvanlys.dll for Advanced Analysis functions, but this won't really work as it also needs an intall of the MAth Kernal Library and that is also a question of correct registry settings for LabVIEW to be able to find that). If you use IMAQ too you also should forget about trying to get this all right yourself. It is not trivial at all.

LabVIEW 8.x makes this all also a bit more complicated as the numbers of files that the LabVIEW rt system absolutely needs are growing with each version again.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[Yair]

Using it for a CD is not a problem. The bigger problem is flash drives, because they don't all identify themselves as CD drives, so Windows does not autorun them. My experiment in the past was to (successfully) include my program as the default program in the menu you get when you plug the drive in (and there should be more details in the thread I linked to).

In any case, my question was actually about the installer John created and on how it helps.

[crelf]

All this info would be a great building block for a new page on our wiki here...