[daip] AIPS cannot launch - also the new install.pl script has a syntax error

[Eric Greisen]

andrejfavia at fastmail.fm wrote:
> Greetings, Eric, this is Andrej Favia once again, current graduate
> UMaine astrophysics student.
> 
> I had some difficulty being able to relaunch AIPS on my MacBook: when I
> type the AIPS command from X11, I get "aips: command not found."
> (I am using an intel MacBook with Mac OS X 10.5.8.)
> Strangely enough, when starting AIPS within the first few days of
> installation
> 
> I've made sure to be in the correct directory, and I've made sure to
> "dot" the LOGIN.SH file before each launch.
> 
> I've actually installed AIPS quite a number of times to see if I could
> catch this error, but I have not been successful. Might repairing
> permissions and/or running OS X cron maintenance scripts interfere with
> the launching mechanism contained within AIPS?
>
The symbol aips is a symlink to $AIPS_ROOT/START_AIPS and should be in 
your $SYSLOCAL which the MNJ should not change.  The . LOGIN.SH should 
set your $PATH to include the $SYSLOCAL defined to be
    $AIPS_ROOT/31DEC10/MACINT/SYSTEM/sitename/
where sitename is the name of your site ($SITE after the LOGIN.SH).

> It seems, however, that I am no longer able to reinstall AIPS, because
> the install.pl script located at 
> ftp://ftp.aoc.nrao.edu/pub/software/aips/31DEC10/install.pl
> is incomplete in its syntax at the end of the script. I get an error
> message when trying to run the perl install command on this file.
> 
I just looked and the install.pl script was truncated after only 32768 
bytes exactly (a suspicious number whose origin I do not know).  It 
updates every night around 10:30 pm our time so I will check it again 
tonight or tomorrow.  It is now fixed.

> 
> Also, I have navigated the new "helpdesk" - in which you informed me was
> the new way to submit inquiries regarding the AIPS package. Would you or
> someone working at the helpdesk be able to create a category for AIPS
> installation and troubleshooting? I certainly would not want to burden
> you specifically with all my questions, as I may have others in the
> future.
> 

There is an AIPS category which we hope to use for all aips questions 
not just usage but also installation issues, system issues, suggestions 
for future code etc etc

Eric Greisen