[daip] Re: A question regarding Linux AIPS

[Patrick P. Murphy]

On Wed, 24 Oct 2001 21:52:31 , "Samuel Conner" <samuelconner at hotmail.com> said:

>    I am attempting to install AIPS (31DEC00) on a PC clone (Pentium
> III 450 MHz) running Mandrake Linux 8.0.  This is a new installation;
> no previous versions of AIPS on this machine. I have downloaded the
> source for the GNU gcc rev 3.0 package

... which we haven't (AFAIK) tested yet against AIPS.  The main AIPS page
<http://www.cv.nrao.edu/aips/> has a large section that discusses compiler
versions.  Bottom line: we recommend gcc 2.95, and we say stay away from
2.96.  I just don't know whether 3.0 is ok or not yet; it may be.

>    I have got through INSTEP1 and part of the way into INSTEP2.

You didn't use the install.pl wizard?  It's a heck of a lot easier than
INSTEP1.

I'll snip your query about PAPC as it sounds like you got that sorted out.

>   I am writing to inquire whether you are aware of any compilation issues 
> using GNU g77 as the fortran compiler in AIPS installations

The version that comes with gcc 2.95 is fine.  (Also 2.95.3 which is
what we use here in CV).  

> to Mandrake Linux. 

IIRC Mandrake 8 is equivalent to Red Hat 7.x so this should be fine.
Just watch for whether you have a libreadline.a in /usr/lib and if so,
make sure that $LIBR/GNU/libreadline.a is a symlink to it rather than
having to build our much older frozen version.  I've yet to see a problem
in linking a modern libreadline to the functions the AIPS task calls in
it.

The only other gotcha is one that comes up with Debian users, and so I
doubt it would affect Mandrake.  There is a dependency on libtermcap (I
think) that has to be resolved by using libncurses or something like that
on Debian installs.  Basically, changing "-ltermcap" to "-lncurses" in
LIBR.DAT in the $SYSLOCAL area cures this.  But don't do that unless you
need to!

HTH.
                                - Pat

PS. I'm technically out of the AIPS support business now, but I do keep an
eye on things from time to time.  It's best if you use the "daip at nrao.edu"
address for future queries, as my input mailboxes are beyond absurd in
their size :-( and it may take me a while to forward or answer.

-- 
 Patrick P. Murphy, Ph.D.              Division Head, CV Computing, NRAO
 Home: http://www.chien-noir.com/    Work: http://www.nrao.edu/~pmurphy/
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 "Linux is Inevitable."  "Why?" "Because it's alive!" - John MadDog Hall