What Are the Differences Between LabVIEW for Windows and Linux Operating Systems?

Issue Details

Solution

Functionality Exclusive to Windows Operating Systems

Some functionality in the Windows version of LabVIEW is not available in the Linux version because it uses underlying technology exclusive to the Windows Operating Systems, including:

• ActiveX
• .NET Framework
• Reports in Word and Excel formats
• Registry access

LabVIEW Add-Ons

Some LabVIEW toolkits and modules are not available on Linux, including:

• LabVIEW Real-Time Module. 
  • You can deploy applications built in the Windows version of LabVIEW to real-time targets running Linux RT.
• LabVIEW FPGA Module.
  • Some LabVIEW FPGA targets have a driver and the FPGA Interface supported on Desktop Linux.
  • Additionally, the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Worker and associated Xilinx tools are also supported on Linux for faster and more memory-efficient compilation.
• LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control
• Desktop Execution Trace Toolkit
• Database Connectivity Toolkit
• Hobbyist Toolkit (Raspberry Pi support)
• Report Generation Toolkit
  • The toolkit only supports HTML-based reports on Linux OS.

For more information, refer to:

NI Hardware and Software Operating System Compatibility
 

LabVIEW Programming Language and Development Environment Features

Some programming language features are not available in the Linux version of LabVIEW, including:

• Timed loops
• Bluetooth
• Shared variables
• Network streams
• DataSocket server
• DataPlugins
• DataFinder
• Some Advanced TDMS functions
• Distributed System Manager

Interoperability with Other Programming Languages and Applications

Some interoperability available in the Windows version of LabVIEW is not available in the Linux version, including:

• MATLAB®
• LabVIEW Web Services

Look and Feel

The Linux version of LabVIEW has visual and behavioral differences compared to the Windows version because the operating systems have different standard conventions. In addition, there are issues specific to the Linux version, including:

• Fonts can render at unexpected sizes and positions compared to the same VIs on Windows. This font issue affects the development environment, VIs, and VI icons.
  • The root cause of the misaligned fonts on some Linux distributions is in the OTF version of Nimbus Sans. To fix the issue, replace Nimbus Sans with a metric-compatible alternative, such as the Type1 version of Nimbus Sans, any version of Liberation Sans, etc.
• Graphics may be less anti-aliased, so front panel controls render differently than on Windows.
• System style controls on VI front panels do not match the style of Linux system controls.

Managing LabVIEW Installations

The Linux version of LabVIEW does not make its files user-writeable, requiring you to have root access to use VIPM, the VI Package Manager available from JKI.

Redistributing Code and Applications

 The Linux version of LabVIEW does not support:

• Building installers
• Third-party library licensing

Porting Applications from Windows to Linux

Consider the following points when porting applications from Windows to Linux:

• If your code uses strings for paths, you may have problems with porting because the path separators are different between the two operating systems. If you use the path datatype, however, LabVIEW will handle this difference for you.
• The LabVIEW configuration file, which is located in Program Files on Windows, is under $HOME/natinst/.config on Linux.

Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft, ActiveX, Excel, and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.