Light Installer with NI Package Builder

[MaximeR]

Hello,

I'm using NI Pacakge Builder to create the disctribution of a complex application based on Python files, teststnad sequences, LabVIEW code and application.

The tool is very and allow me to do almost what I want. I just want to know if it's possible to create an installer and/or a local repository including only my packages.

My idea is to provide my installer with my package only that I have to expose on a server and ask user to add the specified feed, but I want that NI dependencies are downloaded from NI Server. I don't want to replicate all the NI package on my server.

At least can we create a feed with only my pacakge ?

Best regards.

MaximeR

[Scott_Richardson · Accepted solution]

MaximeR -

Currently when building feeds and package installers, NI Package Builder includes all required dependencies in the underlying feed. NI Package Builder does not yet support controlling what dependencies to reference from NI nor whether to instead reference packages not already installed and in a non-local feed. This is a future capability that we would like to support.

A non-ideal mitigation in Package Builder could be to change the dependency from depends to recommends. Another might be creating the feed with nipkg instead of Package Builder.

[MaximeR]

Hi Scott,

thanks for the quick response.

When you say that an option can be to create the feed with nipkg, do you have a kb or an help to do it ?

Can I do with taht tool ? http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/fr/nid/217390

I thought about let my NI dependencies as recommended, it can be an acceptable workaround in my case. For info, I did it for sequence editor package with NI Package Builder 20 and 20.1, it works well but for LabVIEW development system (I want 2018 SP1 package, it doesn't work). I don't know why.

By the way, for the moment, i love the tool, missing only few functionnalities, but it's a good tool.

I already pushed some idea, I missed for example, the ability to build only one/or selected pacakges of the solution or the ability to select a package build outside the solution without having to install it.

Thanks for your help.

MaximeR

[MaximeR]

hi Scott,

I did some test with NIPM Feed Manager. Creating my feed with only my package seems to work well. Dependecies are automatically taken from NI Feed.

This tool will allow me to do what I need. I think that it would be good to have this option in NI Package Builder (Exclude NI packages).

Best regards

[Scott_Richardson]

Maxime -

You saved me from having to do some investigation, so glad building the feed with nipkg worked. Glad to hear that Package Builder is heading in the right direction for your needs. I concur that there is room for more options for controlling how dependent packages are handled when building a feed. We could just do NI packages, but I think that users need more control because of other use cases that we likely need to consider.