Installing XIDL

Last modified: May 11 2007 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/
  • Here are ones specific to HIRES and LowRedux, but you might as well set them anyways.
    • setenv LONGSLIT_DIR $XIDL_DIR/Spec/Longslit
    • setenv HIRES_CALIBS 'where you put the HIRES calibs'

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IDLUTILS (djs) IDL package

• Built and distributed by David J. Schlegel
• Public version located here: Princeton
• WARNING!! :: The IDLUTILS package contains the most up-to-date version of the Goddard libraries (GHRS, astron). If you have an old version of that code in your IDL path then you should remove it now.
  • Once IDLUTILS is installed, then you can do
  • IDL> which, 'mrdfits'
  • Verify that the first (and preferably only) entry has IDLUTILS in the path
• Second WARNING!! :: Many of the XIDL codes require the most up-to-date version (i.e. the untagged CVS version) of the IDULTILS code. This does NOT include the tarball packages in general. You must grab the CVS as described below.
• Installing...
  • cd $HOMEIDL_DIR
  • Use CVS to grab the code:

    cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@sdsscvs.astro.princeton.edu:/usr/local/cvsroot login

    Password is "blank"

    cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@sdsscvs.astro.princeton.edu:/usr/local/cvsroot co idlutils

  • 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

• Checking the installation
  • IDL> print, idlutils_version()
  • The return should include: "NOCVS:"

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idlspec2d IDL package

• Built and distributed by David J. Schlegel + Scott Burles
• Public version located here: Princeton
• Installing...
  • cd $HOMEIDL_DIR
  • Use CVS to grab the files cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@sdsscvs.astro.princeton.edu:/usr/local/cvsroot login

    Password is "blank"

    cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@sdsscvs.astro.princeton.edu:/usr/local/cvsroot co 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)