How to uninstall RealSense SDK 2.0 (which was installed using "building-from-source" method)?

[milan-r-shah]

Required Info
Camera Model	D435i
Firmware Version	05.12.06.00
Operating System & Version	Linux (Ubuntu 18.04)
Kernel Version (Linux Only)	5.3.0-28-generic
Platform	PC
SDK Version	2.0 (v2.36.0)
Language	C++
Segment	others

Issue Description

I had installed RealSense SDK 2.0 using building-from-source method by following installation.md. However, as I have been facing an issue #7313 I want to update the current SDK v2.36.0 to the latest one v2.38.1. So, for that, first, I want to uninstall the current SDK.

I found steps for uninstalling the SDK in distribution_linux.md but those are for the pre-built packages. I couldn't find similar steps for building-from-source installation method.

[MartyG-RealSense]

Hi @milan-r-shah Could you go to the build folder of your source-code installation of librealsense and run the instruction below, please:

sudo make uninstall

#5773 (comment)

[milan-r-shah]

Hi @MartyG-RealSense ,

Thanks for your reply. I was also thinking about this command but got confused because in installation.md, before building the SDK (i.e. before running sudo make install), we are also running some scripts e.g. ./scripts/patch-realsense-ubuntu-lts.sh. So, just to confirm, running only sudo make uninstall command would be enough?

Also, the current kernel in my Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is 5.3.0-28-generic and I couldn't find any corresponding script in the scripts directory. So, which script should I run if I want to reinstall the SDK?

[MartyG-RealSense]

My understanding is that the sudo make uninstall performs the uninstall, and the && make clean instruction that appears in the librealsense build instructions after that is for the purpose of cleaning up old files. So doing sudo make uninstall && make clean would likely be a good idea as an uninstall method.

I would think that if you were using Ubuntu 18.04 then according to the installation instructions for building the SDK from source, you would use this LTS script, even though you have a generic kernel:

./scripts/patch-realsense-ubuntu-lts.sh

[milan-r-shah]

Hi @MartyG-RealSense ,
Thanks a lot for the clarification. I appreciate your help and time.

One more thing, after uninstalling the SDK, if I decide to install the new version using backend method then I won't have to run the script you mentioned above, right? I have to just follow the steps you mentioned in #6940 (comment), isn't it?

It would be really helpful if the RealSense team can add this part in the installation instruction for building-from-source method i.e. installation.md.

[MartyG-RealSense]

Yes, once you have cleaned up, you should be able to perform the backend installation method with the instructions in #6940 (comment)

Though the RSUSB backend method has advantages (especially if you have problems with installing using the normal instructions), it also has some disadvantages compared to kernel patching that mean that it may not be suitable for use in commercial products. Building with DKMS packages (the distribution installation method) therefore has the strongest official recommendation.

The advantages and disadvantages of the backend and kernel-patching methods are compared in the link below. Scroll down to the section of the linked-to comment that is headed with What are the advantages and disadvantages of using libuvc vs patched kernel modules?

#5212 (comment)

[milan-r-shah]

Thanks again @MartyG-RealSense for a detailed response and for sharing important links. Also sorry, but now I have a few more confusions/queries:

Though the RSUSB backend method has advantages (especially if you have problems with installing using the normal instructions), it also has some disadvantages compared to kernel patching that mean that it may not be suitable for use in commercial products. Building with DKMS packages (the distribution installation method) therefore has the strongest official recommendation.

So here, by kernel patching or DKMS packages or Distribution installation method, you meant the building-from-source method, right? And that method does the kernel patching, right? On the other hand, backend method does not, correct?

2. In Getting "terminate called after throwing an instance of 'rs2::backend_error'" error #6940 (comment), you have mentioned that

There is another installation method that I refer to as backend, and it is performed over an internet connection.

This backend method looks almost as same as building-from-source method, the only difference is -DFORCE_RSUSB_BACKEND=true flag in cmake command. So, this flag will create some make files that would ask make to install the required dependencies through the internet while building? On the other hand, in building-from-source method, dependencies would be handled through kernel-patching?

[MartyG-RealSense]

1. The two main installation methods recommended in the official librealsense documentation are:

Distribution (building librealsense from pre-built packages)
https://github.com/IntelRealSense/librealsense/blob/master/doc/distribution_linux.md

Manual (building from source code)
https://github.com/IntelRealSense/librealsense/blob/master/doc/installation.md

The RSUSB backend method belongs to the source-code type of build.
#6940 (comment)

A key difference between the Manual source-code method in the official documentation and the RSUSB process is that with RSUSB, dependencies are installed over an internet connection and so the build does not need to be patched. It therefore is not dependent on Linux versions or kernel versions and should be able to work with any flavor of Linux. As the advantage / disadvantage comparison makes clear though, it has various drawbacks compared to a patch-based build.

2. Basically yes, leaving out the DFORCE_RSUSB_BACKEND=true flag will mean that it is a manual source-code build that requires kernel patching.

[MartyG-RealSense]

Hi @milan-r-shah Do you still require assistance with this case, please? Thanks!

[MartyG-RealSense]

Case closed due to no further comments received.

[milan-r-shah]

Hi @MartyG-RealSense,
Sincere apology for not responding soon but I was quite occupied with some other tasks. Thank you so much for addressing my issue.

Just wanted to add/request if you or RealSense team can add the instruction for Uninstalling & Upgrading the SDK (built from source) on the instruction page on installing the SDK by building from the source i.e. installation.md then it would great!

Thanks again :)

[MartyG-RealSense]

I would speculate that the source-code uninstall instruction (uninstall old version, clean up old files, install new version) is the way that the developers want it to be done, otherwise there would likely be a dedicated Uninstall heading like there is on the packages version of the instructions.

sudo make uninstall && make clean && make && sudo make install

[HartmannSa]

Hi,
I also needed to uninstall Realsense SDK 2 (which was build from source, but one time also with apt).
I followed all your (@MartyG-RealSense ) suggestions and used
sudo make uninstall && make clean and
dpkg -l | grep "realsense" | cut -d " " -f 3 | xargs sudo dpkg --purge

However, sudo updatedb followed by locate realsense2 returns:

/usr/local/include/librealsense2
/usr/local/include/librealsense2-gl
/usr/local/include/librealsense2/h
/usr/local/include/librealsense2/hpp
/usr/local/lib/librealsense2-gl.so.2.40
/usr/local/lib/librealsense2-gl.so.2.40.0
/usr/local/lib/librealsense2.so.2.40
/usr/local/lib/librealsense2.so.2.40.0
/usr/local/lib/cmake/realsense2
/usr/local/lib/cmake/realsense2-gl
/usr/local/lib/cmake/realsense2/realsense2Targets-noconfig.cmake
/usr/local/lib/cmake/realsense2-gl/realsense2-glTargets-noconfig.cmake
/var/crash/librealsense2-dkms.0.crash

Can/ Should I just remove/delete this files?
Do I need to pay attention on something else?
Thanks!

[MartyG-RealSense]

Hi @HartmannSa In the link below, a RealSense team member advises not to have multiple librealsense .so files installed.

#4410 (comment)

[HartmannSa]

Hi, thanks for the advise.
I was already thinking that it's not right to have several of them.
I have now manually deleted all librealsense2 files via sudo rm librealsense2* that I could locate (after the other uninstall steps didn't delete those files on their own).
But I wonder if there are any other files/ folders/ ... on my computer that I also need to uninstall manually?
Indeed, the reinstallation of librealsense throws errors...

[MartyG-RealSense]

Since you have installed both source code and package versions of librealsense, do the errors that you are experiencing include Multiple udev-rules were found ?

If so, the link below provides advice about deleting the rule in the /etc/udev folder but not the one in the /lib/udev folder to remove this error.

#6153 (comment)

[HartmannSa]

Thanks for the tip.
I was now able to build/install everything without errors using
sudo make uninstall && make clean && make -j8 && make install.
But my error had nothing to do with the udev-rules.
By the way, after my installation, I can't find a librealsense2-udev-rules.rule either under /lib/udev/rules.d/ or under etc/udecv. Is this correct?

However, I get the following warnings when starting the realsense-viewer:

 05/02 12:03:43,797 WARNING [140316942813056] (backend-v4l2.cpp:1357) Pixel format 36315752-1a66-a242-9065-d01814a likely requires patch for fourcc code RW16!
 05/02 12:03:54,454 WARNING [140316598310656] (hdr-merge.cpp:38) HDR Merge filter cannot process frames because relevant metadata params are missing
 05/02 12:03:58,119 WARNING [140316598310656] (backend-v4l2.cpp:1775) Invalid md size: bytes used =  0 ,start offset=10
 05/02 12:03:58,119 WARNING [140316598310656] (backend-v4l2.cpp:1775) Invalid md size: bytes used =  0 ,start offset=10
 05/02 12:03:58,119 WARNING [140316598310656] (backend-v4l2.cpp:1775) Invalid md size: bytes used =  0 ,start offset=10
 05/02 12:03:58,119 WARNING [140316598310656] (backend-v4l2.cpp:1775) Invalid md size: bytes used =  0 ,start offset=10

I found a similar issue #4971, however I use the following system (so not Kernel 4.16):

:~$ uname -r
5.4.0-65-generic

:~$ modinfo uvcvideo | grep version
version:        1.1.1
srcversion:     32217DB1DE9B0BC725EDF5D

:~$ rs-fw-update -l
1) Name: Intel RealSense D435, firmware version: 05.12.10.00

:~$ apt list librealsense2
librealsense2/bionic 2.41.0-0~realsense0.3962 amd64

:~$ lsb_release -a
LSB Version:	core-9.20170808ubuntu1-noarch:security-9.20170808ubuntu1-noarch
Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS
Release:	18.04
Codename:	bionic

Created new issue for Warnings

Since this no longer has anything to do with the actual topic of uninstalling, I created a new issue #8318 for these warnings. I am glad about further help.