[daip] Solaris/Linux AIPS directories

[Eric Greisen]

Edward Colbert writes:
 > Hi,
 > 
 > I have been using Solaris machines at work to reduce all my AIPS data and
 > have always preserved the AIPS directories themselves when moving from
 > one machine to another.  The reason for this instead of writing to FITS
 > and loading them back in is because the table attachments, especially the
 > PL files, are unaltered.  Then, if I find a paper plot I need to re-print,
 > or if I need to know the BLC/TRC used for a plot, etc. I can easily do so.
 > Being able to do these things are very important to me.
 > 
 > I now have a new Linux machine and the floats are stored in different way
 > so the Solaris AIPS directories will not work anymore.  Do you by chance
 > have a utility that will convert an AIPS directory from little to big Endian
 > and vice versa?

Unfortunately, we have never written such a program.  It would be
quite complex --- it would have to understand the formats of all files
- and we regard backups to tape as essential in any case using FITS
format.  We view the PL files as throwaway - they can be regenerated
from the data.

Eric Greisen