Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

My team spent some time this summer giving an overview of using the 3 supported languages and what the toolchain looks like.

However, the team laptop we usually use for these things was unavailable, and we used a student's laptop running Ubuntu, but ran Windows 7 Pro inside of a vm (Oracle's VirtualBox was used).

We could ping 10.XX.YY.2 (the ip address of the cRio) from both the host computer and from inside the VM. We could even specify using the MAX tool what ip address to look for and access the cRio as such.
Pictures/proof can be provided upon request.

However, the cRio Imaging Tool will refuse to do this because it only scans relative to the perceived local ip address (10.XX.YY.1-254?), which is just in its own little world because of the virtual network device the VM uses.

Can we please have an option to specify what ip address to look for a cRio at in the cRio Imaging Tool we get from FRC?

This goes beyond just satisfying a small use case by one team, but would extend to every team that develops on a Linux box (running a VM), would like to, or is forced to because of odd circumstances. Besides that, it would remain consistent with the other tools we are given like the LabView development environment, Axis Camera Imaging Tool, and Driver Station, which all have options to specify what ip address to use or target. Furthermore, it would be quite simple to implement and probably save people some time while waiting for the scan to complete (such as those who must run such software from a netbook they use for a Driver Station).

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

Any consideration given to dual-booting into Windows and avoiding the problem completely?

FWIW, it's pretty common for internet connected devices to only support firmware updates from the local network, if for no other reason than security purposes.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

If you have an activation code I'll gladly take it.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

That's weird. I've used virtualbox with ubuntu to run windows 7, and I've successfully reimaged the cRIO multiple times. I don't remember exactly what settings I used for the network adapter, but I remember that it wasn't the default. Make sure that the network adapter you're using to connect the robot under ubuntu has an ip of 10.0.0.xyz, and read online about the different modes that virtualbox supports for network adapters. Also, it probably wouldn't hurt to reset the IP of the cRIO first.

You won't get the dashboard, imaging tool, or netconsole to connect to the cRIO unless you have the network set up right, so just shrink the Ubuntu partition, and install windows 7 along side it.

The reason why this isn't supported is because this situation would never occur while you are just running windows 7, which is what the software is designed to work with. There just aren't enough people working with the control system to have such a large amount of compatibility. If you do run windows 7 in a VM, you'll notice that Java's debugger doesn't work, and unless you install specific USB drivers, all the joysticks will have massive lag after 2 minutes of being enabled.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

We've borrowed a windows laptop, have installed the Utilities and dependencies and updates.

Despite a direct line to the cRio's ethernet jack, proper ip address/subnet configuration and otherwise, the "scanning for cRio" side of things still appears to be taking a small glacial age. This would seem to lend credibility to the idea that maybe we should be able to specify an ip address to speed things up a bit.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

It's definitely possible to do that. You just need to make sure that your network is configured properly. Go to the settings for the windows VM, go to network adapters, and change the mode. I don't know off the top of my head what it needs to be, but I know for sure it isn't the default one.

If it is not being detected in the scanning tool, and you can ping the cRIO, then you have the network adapter settings in virtualbox set improperly.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

There is a bridged mode which ties the VM's adapter to the host computer's adapter. We also did this and it worked, albeit slowly.

The issue truly had nothing to do with using VMs, Linux, or otherwise (even though I laid it on pretty think with those). The real reason I was asking was because the nmap style scan the tool uses can be very slow, the inability to specify an ip address to look for is inconsistent with the other tools we're given, and the "problem" can still be found on low performance laptops running windows, which by rights should be supported and pain-free, as several teams (especially rookies) must use low performance laptops.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

Perhaps you're having another issue. The classmate laptop that came in our 2009 Kit of Parts takes <10 seconds to find our cRIO with the imaging tool.

Re: Why can't we specify an IP Address to search for in the cRio Imaging Tool?
 

You could try to configure the VM to create a virtual adapter, and connect "directly" to the local network. From the access point, it looks like there is another computer on the network. This would work in VMplayer, I don't know about virtualbox.

It would be interesting if you could expand your process further. Instead of distributing an installation disc, FIRST could just distribute a VM. All you would have to do is copy the VM, and then there are no platform issues.

And yes, sometimes it takes a forever to find the cRIO. We just reset and reimage it.