Installing XIDL

Last modified: Oct 10 2005 by JXP.

• SETUP
  • Environmental variables: The code(s) require that a number of environmental variables are setup to install and run the code.
  • One tends to keep all IDL codes together in their home directory with a top level directory like ~/idl/. All of the codes are then placed underneath this directory. I will refer to this directory as $HOMEIDL_DIR.
  • You will need to set several environment variables named IDLSPEC2D_DIR, IDLUTILS_DIR, and XIDL_DIR which point to the directories for the Sloan codes and my code. I suggest you add them right into your .cshrc file. Also, you will need to update your IDL_PATH as necessary.
  • Here are the entires in my .local_cshrc file
    • setenv IDLUTILS_DIR ~/idl/idlutils
    • setenv IDLSPEC2D_DIR ~/idl/idlspec2d
    • setenv XIDL_DIR ~/idl/xidl
    • setenv IDL_PATH +$IDL_DIR\/lib:+$IDL_DIR\/examples:+~/idl:+pro/

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• IDLUTILS (djs) IDL package
  • Built and distributed by David J. Schlegel
  • Public version located here: Princeton
  • WARNING!! :: This package contains the most up-to-date version of the Goddard libraries (GHRS, astron). If you have old versions of that code you should remove it now.
  • Installing...
    • Unpack the distribution into $HOMEIDL_DIR
    • Make sure IDLUTILS_DIR is set!

      (e.g. prompt> setenv IDLUTILS_DIR ~/idl/idlutils)

    • Change directory

      prompt> cd idlutils/

    • Clean the directories

      prompt> bin/evilmake clean

    • Run the make file (this should detect your operating system):

      prompt> bin/evilmake

    • WARNING: I do not believe IDL works with Linux 64bit processors right now.

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• idlspec2d IDL package
  • Built and distributed by David J. Schlegel + Scott Burles
  • Public version located here: Princeton
  • Installing...
    • Copy the package into $HOMEIDL_DIR
    • Unpack the distribution (my version unpacks into idlspec2d/)
    • prompt> cd idlspec2d/
    • Make sure IDLSPEC2D_DIR is set! (e.g. $>$ setenv IDLSPEC2D_DIR ~/idl/idlspec2d)
    • Clean the directories (use the evilmake from IDLUTILS)

      prompt> $IDLUTILS_DIR/bin/evilmake clean

    • Run the make file (this should detect your operating system):

      prompt> $IDLUTILS_DIR/bin/evilmake

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• XIDL package
  • Built and distributed by Jason X. Prochaska
  • Public tarball version located here: XIDL
  • If you wish to modify the code yourself, I highly recommend you contact me about accessing the CVS distribution.
  • Installing...
    • Copy the package into $HOMEIDL_DIR
    • Unpack the distribution (unpacks into xidl/) and enter the directory

      prompt> gtar -zxvf xidl.tar.gz

      prompt> cd xidl/

    • Clean the directories

      prompt> bin/evilmake clean

    • Run the make file (this should detect your operating system):

      prompt> bin/evilmake

  • Updating
    • Simply grab the new tar file, unpack anew and rerun 'bin/evilmake' and 'bin/evilmake clean'
    • WARNING: This will overwrite any changes you have made to these codes!!! Use the CVS distribution to avoid this (contact me)