Pico 7 for Linux

Ask any questions about using the new PicoScope 7 Automotive software here.
picowight
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
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Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:45 pm

Pico 7 for Linux

Post by picowight »

I use the really popular Linux Mint (v18)on my general desktop and I run Pico 6 ancient version which is Ok to look at files and test transducers with. Really liking Pico 7 with my shiny new 4425A on my diag laptop and was pleased to see a Linux version for use on the big screen.

Ubuntu SW usually works but I have tried both offerings in the 7 download and I get the same message right at the end
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies.
picoscope : Depends: mono-mcs (>= 5.18.0) but 4.2.1.102+dfsg2-7ubuntu4 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
Any possibility of a Linux Mint version ?

Steve Smith
Pico Staff Member
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Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:22 am

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by Steve Smith »

Hello and thank you for the post

I am off site today but relayed your post to the software team

Could you check the following:

mint 18
Needs the same additional steps as ubuntu 18

They're underneath ubuntu 18.04LTS heading on here
steps 1 to 3

https://oem.picoauto.com/p7beta/download
Image 1
Image 1
I hope this helps take care.....Steve

picowight
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:45 pm

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by picowight »

Thanks Steve
Yes I did steps 1-7 under 18.04 on that page
The error message I posted occurs on step 7.

Thanks !

Steve Smith
Pico Staff Member
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Posts: 1581
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:22 am

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by Steve Smith »

Hello and thank you for the feedback

I will liaise with the software team today and feedback ASAP

We will resolve this for you rest assured, take care....Steve

PicoCallum
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Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by PicoCallum »

Hi there. I am a software engineer at Pico Technology.

As you are likely aware, there are a vast number of Linux distributions in use today and as such we cannot commit to officially supporting all of them. Our official support list has been narrowed down to Ubuntu 18.04LTS and 20.04LTS for representing .deb package distribution and OpenSuse 15.1 LEAP for representing .rpm package distribution. Users may elect to use alternative distributions but it will be at their own risk and we cannot guarantee support or functionality for these distributions.

I can see you are using Linux Mint 18. Linux Mint themselves no longer support this version and unfortunately it is actually based on Ubuntu 16.04 which we also do not support. I have also been unable to obtain my own test copy as the oldest version maintained for download is now Mint 19.

The only thing I can advise besides updating your installation to a more recent version of mint is to follow the mono-project instructions for installing mono on Ubuntu 16.04.
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 3FA7E0328081BFF6A14DA29AA6A19B38D3D831EF
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates
echo "deb https://download.mono-project.com/repo/ubuntu stable-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official-stable.list
sudo apt update

Note the "stable-xenial" change from "stable-bionic" that our own instructions would ordinarily indicate. As you have already attempted ubuntu 18 installation instructions you may find it necessary to edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official.stable.list in a text editor with sudo permissions, or even to remove this file beforehand.

Steve Smith
Pico Staff Member
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Posts: 1581
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:22 am

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by Steve Smith »

Hello again and sorry for the delayed feedback.

One of our software team members has tried to reply but for some reason we have an issue with our forum "approval" system which I will work to resolve ASAP

In the interim here is the reply

Hi there. I am a software engineer at Pico Technology.

As you are likely aware, there are a vast number of Linux distributions in use today and as such we cannot commit to officially supporting all of them. Our official support list has been narrowed down to Ubuntu 18.04LTS and 20.04LTS for representing .deb package distribution and OpenSuse 15.1 LEAP for representing .rpm package distribution. Users may elect to use alternative distributions but it will be at their own risk and we cannot guarantee support or functionality for these distributions.

I can see you are using Linux Mint 18. Linux Mint themselves no longer support this version and unfortunately it is actually based on Ubuntu 16.04 which we also do not support. I have also been unable to obtain my own test copy as the oldest version maintained for download is now Mint 19.

The only thing I can advise besides updating your installation to a more recent version of mint is to follow the mono-project instructions for installing mono on Ubuntu 16.04.
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 3FA7E0328081BFF6A14DA29AA6A19B38D3D831EF
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates
echo "deb https://download.mono-project.com/repo/ubuntu stable-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official-stable.list
sudo apt update

Note the "stable-xenial" change from "stable-bionic" that our own instructions would ordinarily indicate. As you have already attempted ubuntu 18 installation instructions you may find it necessary to edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official.stable.list in a text editor with sudo permissions, or even to remove this file beforehand.

I wish I knew what some of this meant, I hope it helps you in the interim

Take care.....Steve

picowight
TwoWaves
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Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:45 pm

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by picowight »

Yea, me too! - actually it is pretty clear, looks scary but all you do is copy/paste into a terminal window, though I might just upgrade to Mint 19.
Unlike a certain operating system I could mention, Linux Mint just works. No forced updates to break things/change things/lock your PC up for hours...
Thanks to @PicoCallum for the instructions !

picowight
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:45 pm

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by picowight »

Almost there!
Pico 7 installs fine following Callum's instructions and will run Demo but refuses to recognise the 4425A plugged in (red light on scope shows)
When I try to open a file saved in Pico 7 on my win 10 diag machine I get :
Attachments
Screenshot from 2021-07-13 20-07-57.png

ben.martins
Pico Staff Member
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Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by ben.martins »

Hello picowight,

Nice to see you're getting somewhere now and to have the software installed is a big step! It does appear that the driver hasn't been found though. Hoping PicoCallum can verify!

Would you have access to another scope to try? Not a problem if not just wondering if its isolated to the 4425A scope. Another thing to make sure is that there isn't any power saving on the USB port. This can sometimes prevent the scope from its normal power up sequence.

Either way as you said, almost there and as a novice Linux user it's interesting to see the large amount of variation between versions. Just glad there's people at Pico here to support to this level.

Kind regards

Ben

PicoCallum
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Pico Staff Member
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Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:08 am

Re: Pico 7 for Linux

Post by PicoCallum »

Hello PicoWight

It does indeed appear that picoscope is not detecting the driver package. It is possible that during the failed installations prior that the driver package was not installed.

The 4823, 4425, 4225, 4425A and 4225A Automotive Oscilloscopes all use libps4000a as their driver and this driver also requires libpicoipp to be installed.

To verify installation I would run:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libpicoipp libps4000a
Hope that helps fix the problem

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