Migrating an NI Test System to Linux Desktop

The details of migrating an NI test system to a Linux desktop OS are heavily dependent on the functionality of the system being migrated. Use the following process to ensure that you are aware of the general considerations for migrating a system.

  1. Select a Linux OS distribution and kernel that NI supports.
  2. Determine which NI hardware, software, and drivers in your current test system are supported on your chosen Linux OS and replace any unsupported system elements with equivalent components or alternative implementations.
  3. Install your chosen Linux OS on the desktop machine you are migrating your system to.
  4. Install NI application-level software and drivers on your Linux desktop machine.
  5. Install test system software, such as LabVIEW VIs and projects, on your Linux desktop machine. You do not need to convert these files to open and run them on a Linux desktop machine.
    Note Toolkits with OS-dependent functionality, such as toolkits that utilize ActiveX, do not function when migrated to a Linux OS.
  6. Connect your hardware to your Linux desktop machine and run the Hardware Configuration Utility to ensure that your target machine detects all of your devices.
  7. Run your test application on your Linux desktop machine to see what functionality works correctly and where errors occur.
    Note LabVIEW cannot build installers on a Linux OS. You must use Linux-based tools to replace installer-building functionality in test systems that rely on LabVIEW to build installers.
If your test system does not function as expected after migration, you can contact NI support or reach out to the NI Linux User Community for assistance.