distribution kit relative path usage

[altronics]

CVI v7.1

Trying to create distribution kit that installs the program as such:

C:\Program Files\Program_1

and then create files groups that install in the root directory as such

C:\group_1

Seem to have tried every interation of relative paths with no luck. 

What is the correct way to do this?

[Mert_A.]

To install your program to

C:\Program Files\Program_1

you need to set the Group Destination for your "<Project Name> Files" group to Application Directory, with no Relative Path (unchecked).  The actual path of Application Directory can be changed at installation time, but the default is specified at the top of the dialog, in the Install Location region. Parent Folder should be Program Files Directory, and Sub Folder should be "Program_1".

To install another file group to

C:\group_1

you need to set the Group Destination for the group to Windows Volume Root Directory, with Relative Path checked and set to "group_1".

This should work. If you have trouble, let me know.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[Ken-This-is-my-stinking-a]

I've been hunting the Lab Windows CVI Help, this forum, and the Edit Installer for building a distribution (using Lab Windows CVI 8.5.1), and this post hinted how to do what I've been looking for.

I'm thinking something needs to be added to Help in CVI.

I have an app from CVI 6.0 that I'm now using with CVI 8.5 and when I create the distribution kit it creates it to install to C:\Documents and Settings\<username>/Start Menu\Program\<MyApp>

this was very frustrating and I could not find anything on changing this.

There is no documentation on it.

The mentioning of "Group Destination" and details that follow from Mert hinted at some setting that I was not finding.

In the Edit Installer panel, the lower left window I noticed (after too much looking and not finding it) the directories to install.

Mine had the install going to [Start>>Programs]   ------ which seems a ridiculous install location -- but perhaps this is set goofy-ly because I ported my app from CVI 6.0.

But, there was no other setting there to change it to, and no obvious way to change it.

I stumbled upon the right mouse click in that window, and it displayed the option "All Install Locations"

When I clicked that, there was an option to select "[Program Files]".

When I did that ... WOW ... it displayed the Program Files option, and I was then able to easily move my install files (drag and drop) to the right location.

Aside from my frustration at not being able to find documentation on this, I hope someone else having this problem can quickly find this by searching and from my description figure out how to do this quicker than I did.

Message Edited by Ken (This is my stinking alias) on 10-29-2008 09:48 AM

[Mert_A.]

Ken,

The references to "Group Destination" and so forth are specific to pre-8.0 CVI. The original poster was using CVI 7.1. As far as not finding information, the UI and options of the distribution editor are fairly well documented in the CVI help. In the Edit Installer dialog, if you click the Help button, it will bring up the relevant help for that tab. For the Files tab, this includes explanation of the various UI elements, including what's in the right click menus. I'd recommend giving it a look, as you'll probably find some things you didn't know about.

 [Start>>Programs] is not a terribly common directory for installing files, but it is very common for shortcuts. Any directories specified on the Shortcuts tab will be displayed on the Files tab, which is also the only place you can specify a new subdirectory. That is, if you want a shortcut in [Start>>Programs]\MyApp, you must set up that MyApp subdirectory in the Files tab before it you can use it in the Shortcuts tab.

I'm not sure why all your files ended up under  [Start>>Programs]\MyApp initially. Could you post your .prj file? That file will still contain the original 6.0 distribution settings, so I can try to see what went wrong.

Thanks.

Mert A.

National Instruments

[Ken-This-is-my-stinking-a]

Thanks Mert.

I did find the help, but I think I originally was looking at Help from the  General tab and browsed from there, and didn't get to the place the help goes when you open it from the Files tab.

Can you let me know an e-mail address or some place to send my prj file, rather than posting to the forums?

Thanks

[Mert_A.]

You can point an explorer window, internet browser, or other ftp client to ftp://ftp.ni.com/incoming/ and post the file there. It's not publicly readable.