halfileupdate(1) Manual Page

halfileupdate [--in-place] [--no-backup] [--quiet] file.hal|file.ini…​

Removing the 32-bit HAL types renames the components, pins and parameters whose name spells a type that no longer exists, for example conv_s32_float becomes conv_sint_real and mux-gen.00.in-s32-00 becomes mux-gen.00.in-sint-00. A configuration using the old names fails to start. halfileupdate rewrites those names in HAL files, both .hal and haltcl .tcl.

Run it on the INI file of the configuration:

This prints a diff of what would change and writes nothing. Every HAL file the INI names is read, in the order LinuxCNC runs them, which is what makes the names resolvable: a loadrt in one file and the pins it creates in another is normal in a configuration, and the INI file is what ties the two together. Files named by a key of a user interface’s own, such as CUSTOM_HALFILE, and keys outside the [HAL] section are picked up as well. Add --in-place to make the changes, keeping a .bak of every file it touches:

A single HAL file can be converted on its own, but then only the components that file loads itself can be converted; anything else is reported, with a message saying to run the INI file instead.

Signal names are never changed: they are yours, and no rename applies to them, though the type word on a newsig line is converted, since the type names changed with everything else. A net line keeps its signal and gets new pin names. Instance names you chose with names= are kept as well; only the component name on the loadrt line changes.

halfileupdate converts the names it can resolve and reports the rest with the file and the line, so what is left is on screen when it finishes. It does not touch:

HAL files that come with LinuxCNC, whether written LIB:name.tcl or found in the HAL library, are updated with LinuxCNC and are left alone.

Review the diff and test the configuration before running a machine with it.

0 on success, 2 when a file given on the command line could not be read. Names left for you to convert do not change the exit status.

halcmd(1), halcompile(1), halcompupdate(1), haltcl(1)