Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

I'm not sure if it's been widely or clearly anounced, but...

You can now download and install the LabVIEW 8.5.1 environment with an extended trial license good til Jan 15 2010 if you want to follow allong with the beta testers here at the following link.

http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc....aspx?id=10934

The instruction on this page are fairly "beta" though.

Use this sequence (you'll be happier ;)

1.Using "Save Target As..." save the file

'LabVIEW_FRC_PKG_080501.lic.txt' to your computer.

2. Rename it to 'LabVIEW_FRC_PKG_080501.lic'

"lose the .txt extension"

3.Download and install LabVIEW 8.5.1 from one of the following:
o FTP: ftp://ftp.ni.com/pub/frc/lv851.zip
o HTTP: http://labview8.ni.com/pub/frc/lv851.zip

(after part 61 the drivers just click later to finish)

4. Put the license file 'LabVIEW_FRC_PKG_080501.lic'
in the following folder on your computer:

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\License Manager\Licenses

5. Using NI License Manager > Activate the software
with this serial number: L12R86754

6. Optional??? Using NI License Manager > Turn on the License Server
Most products do not require the Local License Server.
The controls for this feature remain hidden unless you have applicable
products installed, such as LabVIEW Remote Panel Connections.
(WE have this RPC but for ????)

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Is this version just for Windows, or is it also Mac/Linux compatible? (I'd check myself, but at the current rate, it will be another 6 hours before my download finishes.)

David

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Just looked in the setup.ini and its only for Windows

VersionNTMin=5,0,2195,3,0

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

This was sent out in an email blast to all teams. See more discussion here: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=69597

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Hopefully this will get a wider audience than the email blasts.
Which I missed.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

I do find it interesting that they are releasing this in what amounts to a public license. I wonder how NI feels about this.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

I wouldn't even begin to use the term "public license" to describe this distribution.

If you check the acknowledgement email you'd see clearly that they know who is using and on what computer they are using it on.

This is clearly a time limited highly specific version of LabView with the purpose of broadening the opportunity to learn "How To".

To Quote the email

The activation code(s) above were generated with the following serial number and for the following computer:

Serial Number: L12R86754
Computer ID: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

This serial number has been used to generate activation codes for FIRST Robotic Competition on 67 different computers in the past 365 days.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Erm. Since you could easily enter a fake name and organization, and do this through a TOR node or some public network, there's effectively zero practical restriction on who can use this license. We're not talking about people doing this legally, after all.

Granted, obtaining an illicit copy of Labview or most other software isn't particularly difficult for the moderately technically savvy and moral deprived. This is just making it that little bit easier, which is confusing when NI has gone to all the trouble of having the authorization system in the first place.

As a counter example, Autodesk has just as strong an authorization system and still manages to give the teams free software without putting a public download link, license, and serial number on FIRST's website.

It might be that this is simply because of the rush to get the software to teams ASAP, and following years will have a more secure distribution model, but it's still mighty confusing.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Thanks for clearing that up, I havent seen the email. Im glad that there is some security to it. Don't get me wrong, I am so glad they released this. I just was musing on the fact that at first glance it didn't really appear that secure. Though the fact that they can see who is using it does somewhat worry me.

And don't get me started on Autodesk Firstbase.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

How would they know that?

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

I'm assuming the computer ID is some hash-value that is generated based on that particular computer's configuration, similar to how other companies like Microsoft do it.

They probably keep information like IP address tied to the computer ID as well. Afterall, there's no reason they can't simply shutdown that license number right after the ship of our actual copies of labview, so I doubt they're too worried about it.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

If that is so, it implies that we need an internet connection, not only to install LabVIEW, but to run it. Is that truly the case? I'm just now copying the lv851.zip file to a CD so I can install it on the computer at our workshop. I had already been fretting that instead of carrying the data to the computer, I might need to carry the computer to the data. Now I'm getting worried that I might not be able to use the computer at the shop even after putting the software on it.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

You may activate over the phone. In that case, you'll call a 1-800 number and provide a code the LabVIEW activation software gives you. Then over the phone you'll get a different code, which you type into the activation software. Internet access is not needed either to run or activate LabVIEW.

I believe Tom was speculating about how it could work, not stating facts about how it does.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

No internet connection required. Our donated computer at our shop is not connected to the internet either. I installed the LabView software last night and when it got to the part about licensing I clicked a box to do it via email from another computer. It allows you to save a text file with everything NI needs and you email the file attached to a empty email (no subject line, no message) to a NI email address and in a minute or two they email you back the license codes.

As far as I can tell (good or bad) there really isn't any possible way for NI to control this distribution.

1) How to get it and the serial number to use are on a web site that anyone can see.

2) The serial number and installation is the same for everyone and there appears to be no limit to the number of computer (seats) that it will install on.

3) There are multiple ways to get the required license codes to use it for the licensed period (til January of 2010) including direct internet connection, email from a separate machine, and even just calling up NI over the phone.

4) On the two machines I have installed it on - my laptop with an internet connection and our donated team desktop without and internet connection getting the activation code was a simple automated process. I just asked a machine to give it to me and it did (in a matter of seconds). No human @ NI was involved, thus no verification for FIRST team only use or not.

I assume they don't care if this is out there for everyone because:

1) Even though it is the "Full Version" of LabView it seems to be a FIRST specific distribution.

2) It will shut itself off in a little over a year.

3) If someone outside of FIRST gets it and learns it and then starts using it and then gets dependent on it they are going to be out of luck in a year and will be forced to buy it.

4) It is version 8.5.1 and the latest version seems to be 8.6. I assume we will be getting 8.6 in a box with actual CDs in the KoP in January.

Re: Labview 8.5.1 Now available for download
 

Exactly ... except #4 - 8.5.1 will probably still be the Jan release due to perceived stability advantages as mentioned in other programming threads.

#3 is a great way to 'earn' new converts to a product and #1 will promote interest in FIRST, or at least knowledge of FIRST.

Lastly #2 it all goes ............ in a year.

Any commercial endeavour knows the value of genuine licenses resides in the support you receive. And I'll bet that our license entitles us to all the energy, skill and enthusiasm of those NI people we've met over the past few months(seasons) to build a FIRST robot and not much in the direction of developing a commercial application on the cheap.