Managing System Software

This section describes how to manage your system software in Hardware Configuration Utility.

Viewing Installed Software on a Local System

Complete the following steps to view a list of software installed on your local system. This list includes software such as applications, drivers, and add-ons, as well as the installed version of each item.

  1. Select the local controller by clicking it in the System pane.
  2. Click View Software... .
    This opens a new window titled Installed Software - <Controller Name>.
  3. Scroll the list to view the names and versions of installed software.
  4. Optional: (Windows only) Click Open NI Package Manager to open NI Package Manager and make changes to installed software, including adding new software, removing software, and updating installed software. Refer to the Package Manager user manual for more details on managing installed NI software.

Viewing and Configuring Software on a Remote Real-Time System

Complete the following steps to view and configure software installed on a remote RT system.

Refer to the following table for a description of possible actions to take in each filtered view.
  1. Select the remote RT system from the system selector dropdown in the System pane.
  2. Click Manage Software... .
    This opens a new window titled Manage Software - <Controller Name>.
  3. The following table describes the filtered lists of software that appear in this window, and the possible configuration actions to take on software selected in these lists.
    Filter NameResulting View and Available Actions
    Available Displays compatible software packages discovered in the package feed list. Installs selected items to the RT target.
    Installed Displays software installed on the RT target. Removes selected items from the RT target.
    Updates Displays installed software which can be updated to a newer version. Updates selected items to the latest available version.
  4. Click a checkbox to select the software you want to configure in each of the filtered views.
    Note You can make selections within multiple filtered views. Your selections will not change after selecting a different filter.
  5. Once you have made your selections, click Review Changes to confirm your choices and perform the selected actions.

If you need to perform software management operations on several devices, you can switch to another system and repeat this process while other operations are still running.

Refer to Managing Package Feeds for Remote Real-Time Systems for more information on available software and package management.

Managing Package Feeds for Remote Real-Time Systems

By default, the base system image (BSI) on an RT device contains information about required packages and the feeds that provide them. If the remote RT system has access to the internet, Hardware Configuration Utility uses this information to perform package-related operations such as updating and installing software. If you need to manually add or edit feeds, complete the following steps.

  1. Select the remote RT system from the dropdown in the System pane.
  2. Click Manage feeds... in the Configuration pane.
    A window title Manage Feeds opens, displaying details about feeds associated with the BSI.
  3. Choose from the following list to perform the desired action.
    • To modify an existing feed, select the feed by clicking on it, click Edit feed in the Action column, change the feed information in the Edit Feed window, and click Update.
    • To remove an existing feed, select the feed by clicking on it, click Remove feed in the Action column, and click Yes in the dialog to remove the feed.
    • To add a new feed, click Add feed..., enter the feed information in the Add Feed window, and click Add.

Applying a New Base Image to a Remote RT Device

A base system image allows you to manage NI software on a real-time device using feeds located on ni.com. Re-formatting a real-time device erases the current base system image from the device, and installs a new system image with all associated feeds. Complete the following steps to re-format a remote RT device.

  1. Select the remote RT system from the System pane dropdown.
  2. Select the device you wish to make changes to within the System pane.
  3. Click Manage Software... in the Configuration pane.
  4. Click Change System Image ().
  5. Select from the list of available software.
  6. Click OK to re-format the disk and apply the selected base image.

If you need to perform formatting operations on multiple devices, you can switch to other devices and repeat this process while other operations are still running.

For more information on NI Linux RT system images, refer to the links in Related Information.

Note If you need to restore a device to factory state, select the remote RT device and click Format disk in the Configuration Pane. This removes the base system image, programming environment, and all installed software.

Changing the Programming Environment on a Remote Real-Time Device

Complete the following steps to change the programming environment on a remote real-time device.

  1. Select the remote RT system from the System pane dropdown.
  2. Select the device you wish to make changes to within the System pane.
  3. Click Manage Software... in the Configuration pane.
  4. Click Change Programming Environment ().
  5. Select from the list of available programming environments.
  6. Once you've selected the version of LabVIEW Real-Time (or programming language such as Python) you want to use, click OK.
For more information on the LabVIEW Real-Time Module, refer to LabVIEW Real-Time Module Release Notes.