documentation: HDFView > 3.x

[jbqubit]

ARTIQ manual mentions existence of HDFView but doesn't recommend version number. Older versions of HDFView show ARTIQ hdf5 archives as empty. Please consider updating manual to specify HDFView >=3.x and/or adding supported version to nix shell. This is an easy pitfall that one of my students just encountered.

[dhslichter]

This seems like something that is HDFView's fault. Why would a student install an old version of HDFView instead of the latest version?

[sbourdeauducq]

nixpkgs has an old version (2.14). Do you happen to know if hdf_java needs to be updated as well?

[sbourdeauducq]

I think that's not a "documentation" issue, this should be just updated in nixpkgs.

[jbqubit]

Why would a student install an old version of HDFView instead of the latest version?

Depending on the Ubuntu distro version different versions of HDFView are installed as noted in the old Issue. It's not uncommon for Ubuntu to be full release numbers behind on tools like HDFView.

I think that's not a "documentation" issue, this should be just updated in nixpkgs.

Agreed that it will be easier to maintain (vs documentation) if the right version is included the default ARTIQ nixpkgs.

[jbqubit]

Do you happen to know if hdf_java needs to be updated as well?

I've never explicitly used hdf_java. I don't know if it is a dependency of HDFView.

[astro]

nixpkgs has an old version (2.14). Do you happen to know if hdf_java needs to be updated as well?

I think that's not a "documentation" issue, this should be just updated in nixpkgs.

There has never been a version other than hdfview-2.14 and hdf_java-3.3.2 in nixpkgs. They are already the latest official releases unfortunately. Wait, there's a new site.

Current progress: NixOS/nixpkgs#113349

[sbourdeauducq]

OK, it's merged now and should be updated in nixpkgs 21.03 (in a couple months). How important is it to support older nixpkgs?

[jbqubit]

It's OK if it takes a month or two for this fix to hit artiq nix.

[astro]

It is going to be May 2021.

[sbourdeauducq]

Confirmed hdfview-3.1.2 in nixpkgs 21.05 (used for ARTIQ 6 and 7).

[jbqubit]

Thanks @astro @sbourdeauducq !