gpibprt.ko compile error

[sdsmith]

Setup:

Using redhat enterprise 5 on a 64 bit dell workstation.  Labview professional 8.6 fresh install. 

I need to get NIVISA configured/running to communicate with test instruments on a LAN using VXI-11.

Don't have a GPIB card - all communication/control will be over a LAN/TCPIP.

Problem:
Can't run VISA utilities because module gpibprtk.ko can't be found.

Searching the forums, this seems to be a 64bit / 32bit issue.  Running updateNIDriver and observing the output gets me to this:

 ..........

/bin/mv objects/gpibprtk.ko objects/gpibprtk-interfaceFile.ko
ld -r objects/gpibprtk-interfaceFile.ko objects/gpibprtk-processed.o -o objects/gpibprtk.ko
ld: Relocatable linking with relocations from format elf32-i386 (objects/gpibprtk-processed.o) to format elf64-x86-64 (objects/gpibprtk.ko) is not supported
make: *** [objects/gpibprtk.ko] Error 1
ERROR: failed to build gpibprtk.ko
 gpibprtk.ko failed to update.
WARNING: could not unload module nipalk from memory
/usr/local/natinst/nikal/src
 nipalk.ko successfully updated.
Update of National Instruments drivers failed.

...........

it would appear that the module is 32bit and won't link to a 64 bit kernel.  I'm by no means the expert on compiling and linking, but the link

error seems to be the central problem - no link =  no module = no workie.

So, I assume I need this module loaded to get my VXI-11/LAN stuff to work even though I'm not using GPIB - at least not the hardware interface.

I've attached the output from updateNIDriver for reference.  All software is from the CD - workstation has no external access - although I can "sneakernet" stuff onto the system.

Any help appreciated.  I'm kinda googled out at this point.

Thanks,

Steve.

[Sammy Z]

Dear sdsmith,

Nice job on doing your research before posting.  That's very much appreciated. 

What version of NI-VISA are you using?

Regards,

Sammy Z.

[sdsmith · Accepted solution]

Sammy,

Thanks for the reply.  I was able to resolve the problem as shown below (post from linux users group).  I had also posted the issue in the linux users group.  I marked it as answered there, but forgot to clear it out here.  Anyway, I found that you had to install BOTH updated versions of NIVISA and NI488, then I ran updateNIDriver to compile the module.  That may have been redundent, but the updateNIDriver outputs the results to the terminal so I can see if it compiled, or errored out.

Steve.

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Update #2.

I downloaded and installed ni4882-2.5.4b1-release.tar.gz.  This contained the source for ni488k.ko which compiled and installed OK.

VISA interactive utility can now talk to a LXI instrument on the lan, so it looks like we're up:)

I assume the new version of NI-VISA now calls ni488k.ko to be loaded if not there rather than gpibprtk.ko.

I would have thought the driver would have been included in the NI-VISA 64 bit ISO update package since I thought that this is where the orginal 488 source files came from, but apparently, you need both - maybe because the 488 driver is still in beta?

So it appears that I've answered my own question - by installing some updates, but I'll leave this here in case it is useful to someone else.

Since the workstation is stand-alone, the automagic update approach is not an option - the old fashion read the error msg and solve it is required here:\

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