Creating a package "configuration"

[royalcow]

I want to create a specific release of our software and would like to be able to create a configuration that consists of the main application and all the drivers it might need. I know I can do this with dependencies to point to the actual package dependencies, but if I wanted to specify different builds of the software with specific packages, or separate options, I would need to create separate build specifications. Either that or create a dummy build specification that only includes dependencies. 

Am I missing something or is that all correct?

[GreyGrey]

Are you wondering for hosting different versions of your software (like 2017 vs 2018) or more worried about potential options they could elect to install with the software?

Also, are you using LabVIEW to build your packages or are you using the Command-Line utility for NI Package Manager?

[JoshuaP · Accepted solution]

Yes, for now you would need to create a dummy build specification for a "virtual package" where you define the exact dependencies you want, but contain no payload or perhaps just a few additional configuration files to go with it.

In the future, we do plan to make this easier and allow customers to create what we call snapshots or state file for a given setup.  This would allow you to include feeds and the exact version of some packages that that you want installed.  You would be able to create them from existing systems and deploy them to other systems.  Some of this can be done via the API and command-line today, but isn't surfaced in the web interface yet.

[royalcow]

@GreyGrey

I'm really trying to setup a set up something like the following:

App version 1.0

- Instrument Driver A version 1

- Instrument Driver B version 1

App version 1.1

- Instrument Driver A version 1

- Instrument Driver B version 2

So I'm not so worried about options that they could install, but I would like to control which version of the driver and application that is installed by selecting a specific package. 

I have been using LabVIEW to build packages so far, but have been managing some feeds with the command line. Does the command-line utility allow you to create packages and dependencies? I see the pack command, but haven't used it as of yet.

[royalcow]

@JoshuaP

Thanks. That's pretty much what I thought. Likely there are some additional answers in the CLI that I should take a harder look at as well.

[GreyGrey]

Yeah you can use the CLI to build packages as well. There should be some documentation coming soon that provides greater detail on how to use the CLI to build packages and the options you have when doing so.