Why is there an installation problem with Vex libraries on Mac (using MATLAB R2015a)?

We are receiving the following error when installing the VEX libraries on a Mac. Below are the error messages that we received during the installation of the VEX Cortex Support Package.

We anyway went ahead and opened it after install fail and the software appears to work correctly and we are able to make a Simulink model. However, when we try to deploy, it compiles but fails when it tries to download the program to the controller.

Warning: An error was encountered while installing the VEXNet Serial USB
driver:/Users/DianneWatson/Documents/MATLAB/SupportPackages/armcortexbasedvexmicrocontroller/toolbox/target/supportpackages/vexarmcortex/resources/installVEXNetDriver.scpt:
execution error: installer: Error the package path specified was invalid:
'/Volumes/VexCortexCDC_1.1/Installer_10.5/VexCortexCDC 1.0.0.pkg'. (1)

> In codertarget.vexarmcortex.internal.installVEXNetUSBSerial (line 47)
  In hwconnectinstaller.util.evaluateCmd (line 58)
  In hwconnectinstaller.internal.LegacyThirdPartyStrategy/installThirdPartyPackage (line 78)
  In hwconnectinstaller.PackageInstaller/installTpPkgs (line 1301)
  In hwconnectinstaller.PackageInstaller/install (line 1064)
  In hwconnectinstaller.PackageInstaller/installRecursiveImp (line 608)
  In hwconnectinstaller.PackageInstaller/installRecursive (line 421)
  In hwconnectinstaller.internal.executeConfirm>installFromFolder (line 282)
  In hwconnectinstaller.internal.executeConfirm>updateWorkflow (line 242)
  In hwconnectinstaller.internal.executeConfirm (line 88)
  In hwconnectinstaller.Step/next (line 169)
  In hwconnectinstaller.internal.executeConfirm>@(varargin)hStep.next(varargin{:}) (line 266)
  In hwconnectinstaller.util.download.MWDownloadManager/fireMethod (line 412)
  In hwconnectinstaller.util.download.MWDownloadManager/initCallback/serviceCallback (line 388)
  In hgfeval (line 62)
  In javaaddlistener>cbBridge (line 52)
  In javaaddlistener>@(o,e)cbBridge(o,e,response) (line 47) 

System information:

[General]

Application Version=14.3.2 (54772)
System Version=10.10.2
Processor Type=7,4
Processor Speed=2.50 GHz
Number of Processors=4
L2 Cache (per processor)=256 KBytes
Memory=4.00 GB
Bus Speed=100.00 MHz
Machine Class=x86_64
Machine Model=MacBookPro9,2
System Up Time=14:53  up 168 days,  4:09, 1 user, load averages: 2.09 1.75 1.81

Answer 1

[MathWorks Student Competitions Team]

From the System information, it appears like you are on a Mac 10.10.2 OS version. Unfortunately, the VEX USB driver for Mac in the VEX Support Package for R2015a and R2015b will not be installed automatically on this Mac OS.

The workaround is to install the VEX Driver manually on a Mac running 10.10 OS (Yosemite). To do so, follow these steps:

1) Install MATLAB and Simulink

2) Install the VEX Support Package

3) Obtain the VEX Driver file from here: https://app.box.com/s/v76iqkyv1dmml61unj32

4) Install the Driver

5) Restart Mac and relaunch MATLAB

MathWorks will update the Support Package installation in a future release to remove this limitation. Apologies for the inconvenience.

[Katie Dewees]

The support packages included at that link only support up through Mavericks OS (10.9). I'm at 10.10.5. Should I just install 10.9 and hope? Or is the 10.5 package listed supposed to support 10.10.5?

[Walter Roberson]

Yosemite allowed me to install the version marked 10.9 . I do not have the device to test with so I do not know if it "works" though.

[Katie Dewees]

I installed the 10.9 version, and finally got my VEX controller to talk to my mac. Thanks! I also found out that there is a file buried very deep that has to be writable that is not in the default mac installation. Once I made it writeable, it fixed all of the errors I was getting when I opened the VEX controller package in Simulink.

[Walter Roberson]

Katie, do you recall the name and directory of the file? It could help others with the same problem.

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

I suggest trying this:

Go to the terminal window (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and command

sudo installer -package '/Volumes/VexCortexCDC_1.1/Installer_10.5/VexCortexCDC 1.0.0.pkg' -target /

and authenticate when asked.

I do not promise this will work.