19990826: McIDAS-X Install Questions

>From: Michael Keables <address@hidden>
>Organization: DU
>Keywords: 199908262233.QAA03752 McIDAS RedHat 6.0 Linux

Mike,

>We're getting things loaded here at DU and hope to be functional sometime
>in the next couple of weeks. I'm getting ready to build McIDAS-X. I've
>downloaded all files, changed permissions, and am at the
>"Review System-specific Notes and Warnings" stage for Linux. 

OK, good start.

>Questions:
>
>1. I need to download f2c. Which file(s) from the Bell Labs /netlib/f2c
>directory do I grab? 

You might be better off getting a version of f2c that works with RedHat
6.0 from a RedHat rpm, but I need to "talk" to you about this below.

>2. Pre-make configuration. We are running RedHat 6.0 - do I need to
>complete the tclconfig steps in the installation instructions?

I have to strongly warn you that we have been having problems with RedHat
6.0 here at Unidata.  In particular, the hoops that we have to jump through
to build GEMPAK under 6.0 are many and not fun.  We have been advising
sites that have contacted us early enough in their setup phase to stick with
RedHat 5.2.  RedHat (or the general Linux community, I don't know which)
changed some fundamental things in glibc that make 5.2 versions of some
routines (like f2c) not work.  One has to, therefore get new versions of
these executables at a minimum.  Given that the things changed were
definitions for things like stdin, stderr, and stdout, then it is very
likely that McIDAS XCD routines will not work (I havn't tried this
yet I am sorry to say).

To make a long story short, it would be much easier on you and me if
you could use RedHat 5.2 and not 6.0.

>Thanks for your help ... looking forward to being a McIDAS user again.

Sorry for the bad news.

Tom