This is a guide to installing AIPS Classic, DIFMAP, and ParselTongue on a Ubuntu 22.04 VM, assuming the host is a Windows machine running Oracle VM Virtualbox. The guide also includes instructions for setting up remote AIPS access and X11 forwarding, allowing for the use of AIPS by SSHing into a headless VM from the Windows host.
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Install pre-requisites for Ubuntu 22.04
sudo apt-get install -y cvs gfortran libncurses-dev openssh-client openssh-server printer-driver-cups-pdf xterm
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Download latest version of AIPS installer (31DEC24) into a directory that will be the AIPSROOT
wget -nc http://www.aips.nrao.edu/31DEC24/install.pl
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Execute the installer script with Perl
chmod u+x install.pl perl install.pl -n
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AIPS installation parameters
- Screen 5: Site Name - aips
- Screen 8: Printers - Press D to discover printers, then set printer type to COLOR, printer paper to A4
- Accept defaults on everything else
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Add the following login script to
~/.bashrc
. /home/aips/aipsroot/LOGIN.SH
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Add AIPS servers to UNIX network by adding the following to
/etc/services
sssin 5000/tcp SSSIN # AIPS TV server ssslock 5002/tcp SSSLOCK # AIPS TV Lock msgserv 5008/tcp MSGSERV # AIPS Message Server tekserv 5009/tcp TEKSERV # AIPS TekServer aipsmt0 5010/tcp AIPSMT0 # AIPS remote FITS disk access aipsmt1 5011/tcp AIPSMT1 # AIPS remote tape 1 aipsmt2 5012/tcp AIPSMT2 # AIPS remote tape 2 aipsmt3 5013/tcp AIPSMT3 # AIPS remote tape 3 aipsmt4 5014/tcp AIPSMT4 # AIPS remote tape 4 aipsmt5 5015/tcp AIPSMT5 # AIPS remote tape 5 aipsmt6 5016/tcp AIPSMT6 # AIPS remote tape 6 aipsmt7 5017/tcp AIPSMT7 # AIPS remote tape 7
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Install pre-requisites for Ubuntu 22.04
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential fort77 gawk gfortran libncurses-dev libx11-dev make pgplot5
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Download latest version of DIFMAP installer (2.5q) into a preferred directory (e.g. home directory)
wget -nc ftp://ftp.astro.caltech.edu/pub/difmap/difmap2.5q.tar.gz
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Extract the tarball
tar -xvzf difmap2.5q.tar.gz
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Enter the uvf_difmap directory, configure, and compile difmap
cd uvf_difmap_2.5q ./configure linux-ia64-gcc ./makeall
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Add the following login script to
~/.bashrc
export PATH=$PATH:/home/aips/uvf_difmap_2.5q/
Assuming Python 3 is already installed and fully set up, install ParselTongue using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kettenis-w/parseltongue
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-parseltongue
For remote AIPS, set port forwarding in the VM:
- Protocol: TCP
- Host IP: 127.0.0.XXX
- Host Port: 22
- Guest IP: 10.0.2.15
- Guest Port: 22
To access using a Windows machine, install VcXsrv and PuTTY. Launch VcXsrv in multi-window mode.
In PuTTY, set the hostname to 127.0.0.XXX with port 22. Set the following settings:
- Window - Appearance - Cursor appearance - Vertical line
- Window - Appearance - Cursor appearance - Cursor blink (true)
- Window - Appearance - Font settings - Font: Courier New, 11-point
- Window - Selection - Control use of mouse - Windows (Middle extends, Right brings up menu)
- Window - Selection - Assign copy/paste actions to clipboards - Ctrl + Shift + {C, V} for System clipboard, no action for others
- Connection - SSH - X11 - Enable X11 forwarding (true)
For first time runs, create the ~/.Xdefaults file with the following content:
AIPStv*geometry: 800x800+0+0
AIPStv*xPixels: 850
AIPStv*yPixels: 850
AIPStv*charMult: 1
AIPSmsg*background: black
AIPSmsg*foreground: white
AIPSmsg*faceName: Courier New
AIPSmsg*faceSize: 9
AIPStek*background: black
AIPStek*foreground: white
AIPStek*faceName: Courier New
AIPStek*faceSize: 9
Also, create an empty ~/.Xauthority file.