setting up the classmate

[ekapalka]

[ranting]
Hey! We've been using one particular computer as our driver station for quite some time, but It's about time we got a new one. Previously, we were programming in LabView, but we're switching to C++ this year. We tried setting up another computer to run WindRiver by installing both the DriverStation and WindRiver, and had varied success, but we still had to use the sketchy little computer we got on our first year competing in addition to the new computer for certain things. We've been reading through the "Getting Started with the 2012 frc control system" PDF (attached), and it appears that we should image the classmate, typically the computer from the KOP, with an image that supposedly comes on a flash drive in the KOP. I was wondering if there's anything special about that image. I believe it's a copy of Windows 7 basic, which comes with two users: Developer and Driver (? working from memory). Is there anything special besides that that I should need that comes on the image? After that, we should install the tools (but not LabView itself) from the LabView disc/drive from the kit of parts. I'm not entirely sure what this includes, but may or may not include the imaging tool for the cRio. That's the next thing we need to install, if it's not on the LabView disc/drive. Finally, we have to install, configure, and update WindRiver. I have no real idea what I'm talking about, and I'm ranting. If someone could help me clarify any misconceptions and especially provide links to anything I should download, it would be great! It's hopefully not as complicated as it seems to me..... (Another thing, did anyone see that there is a cRio emulator this year? I can't seem to find it on the website, so I'm thinking it may be in the kit of parts... just another thing I would like some sort of confirmation of).
[/ranting]
Sorry if any of my terminology is wrong
Thanks!

[mocibot]

Well, first off your reading the "Getting Started with the 2012 frc control system" for the 2013 FRC control system. A link to the 2013 Getting Started with C++ page, wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/3120/m/7913, should prove better help for you. I found the link for it on the Technical Resources KOP (Kit of Parts) page here. Good luck, stay safe, learn new things, and have fun!

[Mark McLeod]

There's nothing the Classmate images do for you that you cannot do on your own or with another computer. They just simplify the Classmate upgrades (especially the E09) by combining a Windows OS installation with development environments (LV, WindRiver, NetBeans) and Driver Station/FRC Utilities.

[ekapalka]

Thanks!
Because I'm pretty new to this and the computer is essentially new, I would like to dual-boot the classmate with the Rookie USB image. At http://wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/...okie-usb-stick, there is a link to download the image, but I can't seem to find the image itself. Can anyone help? Thanks!

[ekapalka]

Also: I believe it's specifically known as the "Intel classmate PC image", so does that mean it's specifically configured for a particular Intel architecture or should it work with anything? If this is just not a good idea, I would still like help with my initial questions. Mainly the cRio emulaor, because the website provided by mocibot has almost everything except that. There were a few LabView simulations, but the way it was described in the kickoff video, it seemed like it would be universal, just like a real cRio :D

[mocibot]

I'm slightly confused as to what you're trying to do here, the Classmate images are only for the Classmates, with different images for the different models. You can install WindRiver and the LabVIEW utility's to do development work, and the driver station (and maybe the LabVIEW utitity's again) for the driver station. You can have both on the same computer. As far as dual booting the Classmate with two versions of Windows, I have no clue. My team has only used LabVIEW for programing, so any WindRiver or C++ questions/issues I can't find an answer to rather quickly in documentation, I'll let someone who know more them me about it answer.

[ekapalka]

This must be one of those terminology mistakes I promised there would be... I was under the impression that the classmate was the computer supplied with the first-competing-year's kit of parts, which came with an operating system that was mostly set up and almost ready to control the robot, which would save time attempting to acquire all the different utilities required to operate the robot. This is what one of my mentors thought (who, by the way, is not an expert in FIRST robotics, but is an expert programmer). Sorry for the confusion. Basically, what I think I want to do is flawlessly go through all the steps on this page -

http://wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/...okie-usb-stick

...which I'm now second-guessing. I'm a little confused now.... Could someone help to clarify this for me? Sorry for my lack of expertise. Thanks for your replies!

[Mark McLeod]

A Classmate E12 netbook comes in the Rookie Kit.
It does not have an operating system pre-installed.
They are cheaper without an OS license or the labor to install an OS.

Rookie teams have a choice of two images to choose from:

1. One FRC E12 Classmate image is just to set the machine up as a robot Driver Station and NOT with an FRC development environment (LabVIEW, Wind River, NetBeans).
2. The other alternative FRC E12 Classmate image will setup the machine as BOTH a robot Driver Station and with all three development environments.

The installations are not however complete, because FRC software updates occurred AFTER the images had to be created. There may be future updates that will also need to be applied, so keep an eye out all season for updates like the patch for LabVIEW users that has already been released.
After the image is installed, you must also download and install the individual updates listed on the FIRST site linked earlier.


Veteran teams are provided different, older Classmate version images as a means of updating their older machines to this year's development and Driver Station baseline. They have the choice to forgo using the image, since they've already previously installed an operating system. They can instead follow the procedures for installing the necessary FRC software on a non-Classmate machine.
The image installation is faster though.

[ekapalka]

The reason I was asking was because, from a software standpoint, we're starting over. The only "from the beginning to the end" documentation I could find started with imaging the classmate with the special FRC image. Because it appears that won't be possible, what exactly do I need that would typically be included in the image (in addition to the IDE)? Just the two user accounts and the imaging tool or other things? I personally would like to devote the entire computer to C++ development, so I suppose I'll need to install the equivalent of the alternative FRC E12 Classmate image. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[RufflesRidge]

Originally Posted by ekapalka

The reason I was asking was because, from a software standpoint, we're starting over. The only "from the beginning to the end" documentation I could find started with imaging the classmate with the special FRC image. Because it appears that won't be possible, what exactly do I need that would typically be included in the image (in addition to the IDE)? Just the two user accounts and the imaging tool or other things? I personally would like to devote the entire computer to C++ development, so I suppose I'll need to install the equivalent of the alternative FRC E12 Classmate image. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Start here. You should be able to follow the appropriate links at or near the end of each document to guide you all the way through loading code onto the cRIO.

[Mark McLeod]

In case you ever do get the Classmate image, make sure it's the correct one for your model Classmate.

• E09 Classmate came in the 2010 Kit
• E11 Classmate came in the 2011 & 2012 Kits
• E12 Classmate came in the 2013 Kit

Other possible sources are if you bought a Classmate on your own or obtained one through FIRST Choice.
Make sure you know which is which.

[nomad1125]

Is anyone else having issues installing the new 2013 image for the netbook? Every time I go into the provided application to install the image to a flash drive it gives me the error "7z error - extraction of files failed!". I followed the FRC instructions word for word and have gotten the same error while trying this on several different computers now. Please help. (FYI all of these files are on the FIRST FRC website under technical resources)

[Mark McLeod]

That error means the zip file you downloaded is incomplete or corrupted.
You'll need to download again.

Check your files size:

• E09-DRV = 4.12
• E09-LV = 5.11
• E09-C++ = 4.53
• E09-Java = 4.42
• E11-DRV = 3.97
• E11-DEV = 6.31
• E12-DRV = 3.79
• E12-DEV = 6.32

[nomad1125]

Ugh i've downloaded this like 5 different times in different places and on different computers though.

[Mark McLeod]

Watch out for files that get cutoff at 4GB.
USB sticks of any size can't hold the downloaded zip files because generally their file system has a file limit of 4GB.

So if you tried to download to a USB stick it wouldn't work properly.