McIDAS-X User's Guide
Version 2024.1

[Search Manual] [Table of Contents] [Go to Previous] [Go to Next]


Installing McIDAS-X on Windows (Single-User Configuration)

Note: This section contains the instructions for building and installing McIDAS-X on Windows in the single-user configuration. For the multi-user configuration instructions or information about the two configuration options, return to the Configuration Options and Instructions and follow those instructions.

Complete the instructions in the two sections below to obtain, build and install McIDAS-X on Windows in the single-user configuration. Additional information about the directory structure and optionally removing the previous version of McIDAS-X is included at the end.

Obtaining McIDAS-X 2024.1

The McIDAS-X on Windows 2024.1 installation files are listed below.

File Name Description
mcidas2024.1.sh shell script that does the McIDAS-X and/or McIDAS-XRD build and install
mcidas2024.1.tar.Z compressed tar file containing the McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XRD software

Use your web browser to retrieve the files listed above from the Download McIDAS-X page on the McIDAS Website. Each site has its own login and password for downloading files. Have your site coordinator contact the McIDAS Help Desk if you can't remember yours.

Note: The Download McIDAS-X page above also has a file named mcinet2024.1sh that is available for downloading. You do not need to download the file because it is a shell script that configures the McIDAS-X ADDE Remote server, which is not supported on McIDAS-X on Windows systems because a limitation in WSL prevents network services like xinetd from running.

Building and Installing McIDAS-X 2024.1

For convenience, the McIDAS-X installation files include both the McIDAS-X core package and the McIDAS-XRD sidecar package (see the McIDAS-XRD Software page for details). Installation of McIDAS-XRD is optional (done by specifying a non-default value for the packages parameter in the steps below).

Complete the steps below to build and install McIDAS-X on Windows 2024.1 and/or McIDAS-XRD on Windows 2024.1.

1. Open an Ubuntu shell and run command whoami to verify that you are logged in as the main user account (created in the previous page). Then use sudo to login as mcidas.

Type:  sudo -u mcidas -i

2. Copy or move the installation files that were downloaded in the previous section to the ~mcidas directory.
(Note: The WSL syntax for C:\Users\mcidas is /mnt/c/Users/mcuser/. e.g., Type: cp /mnt/c/Users/mcuser/Downloads . )

3. Build the desired package (McIDAS-X 2024.1 and/or McIDAS-XRD 2024.1) using the appropriate command below. If building McIDAS-X (by specifying x or all in the packages parameter), this step first makes the ~mcidas installation directories and ~mcidas/mcidas2024.1 package directories (see the tables below). Then, it uncompresses the data files, source files, and man pages. Finally, it makes the help files, compiles the source code, and writes the compiler output to the file ~mcidas/mcidas2024.1/src/makelog.

Type:  sh  ./mcidas2024.1.sh  make   packages

or

Type:  sh  ./mcidas2024.1.sh   flag  make   packages

where packages is one of the three options described below.

and flag can be the optional flag described below.

Examples:

The message below is displayed if McIDAS-X is selected (by specifying x or all in the packages parameter) and the build is successfully completed.

./mcidas2024.1.sh: McIDAS-X make completed normally.

If McIDAS-XRD is selected (by specifying xrd or all in the packages parameter) and the build is successfully completed, the message is the same as that above, except McIDAS-X is replaced with McIDAS-XRD.

4. Once McIDAS-X and/or McIDAS-XRD 2024.1 are successfully built, uninstall the previous version of the corresponding package(s).

First verify that no McIDAS-X sessions are running. Then enter the command below to uninstall the previous version of the packages, replacing version# with the number of the version (for example, 2023.1).

Type:  sh  ./mcidasversion#.sh  uninstall  all

The messages below are displayed if the uninstall is successfully completed.

./mcidasversion#.sh: McIDAS-X uninstall completed normally.
./mcidasversion#.sh: McIDAS-XRD uninstall completed normally.

5. Run the command below to install the packages (McIDAS-X and/or McIDAS-XRD 2024.1) that you built in step 2 above. You must specify the same option in packages (x, xrd or all) as you did in step 2 above. This step creates hard links from the files in the package directories to the appropriate ~mcidas installation directories.

Type:  sh  ./mcidas2024.1.sh  install   packages

The message below is displayed if McIDAS-X is selected (by specifying x or all in the packages parameter) and the install is successfully completed.

./mcidas2024.1.sh: McIDAS-X install completed normally.

If McIDAS-XRD is selected (by specifying xrd or all in the packages parameter) and the install is successfully completed, the message is the same as that above, except McIDAS-X is replaced with McIDAS-XRD.

Note: SSEC recommends that you recompile all local code after each new version of McIDAS-X is installed.

This concludes the instructions for building and installing McIDAS-X on Windows in the single-user configuration. The sections below contain additional information about the directory structure and optionally removing the previous version.

Installation Directories

The install process makes hard links (as opposed to symbolic links) between the installation directories and the files in the package directories. The uninstall process simply removes the hard links. The McIDAS-X installation directories and their contents are listed below.

Directory Contents
~mcidas/bin program executables
~mcidas/data data files
~mcidas/help help files
~mcidas/inc include files
~mcidas/lib libraries
~mcidas/man man files for subroutines and functions
~mcidas/tcl Tcl and Tk executables and libraries

Other McIDAS packages also make hard links in the installation directories. Thus the installation directories are the repositories for all McIDAS packages currently installed.

Package Directories

Each version of McIDAS-X and other McIDAS packages (for example, McIDAS-XCD) builds its own set of directories. The names of the directories depend on the package name and version number. The McIDAS-X package directories and their contents are listed below.

Directory Contents
~mcidas/mcidas202x/bzip2 BZIP2 1.0.5 files for the radar servers
~mcidas/mcidas202x/data McIDAS-X data files
~mcidas/mcidas202x/g2clib g2clib 1.2.2 libraries for GRIB2
~mcidas/mcidas202x/gzip gzip 1.13 files for gzip compression
~mcidas/mcidas202x/hdf HDF 4.2.5 files for the MODIS servers
~mcidas/mcidas202x/hdf5 HDF5 1.8.13 files for ADDE servers
~mcidas/mcidas202x/jasper JasPer 2.0.12 libraries for GRIB2
~mcidas/mcidas202x/jpeg JPEG v6b files for the FRMSAVE command
~mcidas/mcidas202x/libgeotiff GeoTIFF 1.7.0 files for the GeoTIFF server
~mcidas/mcidas202x/libpng libpng 1.6.37 files for GINI support
~mcidas/mcidas202x/man McIDAS-X man files for subroutines and functions
~mcidas/mcidas202x/netcdf netCDF 4.4 files for ADDE servers
~mcidas/mcidas202x/sqlite SQLite 3.30.1 files for ADDE servers
~mcidas/mcidas202x/src McIDAS-X source files, help files, and binaries
~mcidas/mcidas202x/tcln.n Tcl 8.4 files for the GUI
~mcidas/mcidas202x/tiff TIFF 3.6.1 files for the GeoTIFF server
~mcidas/mcidas202x/tkn.n Tk 8.4 files for the GUI
~mcidas/mcidas202x/xrd McIDAS-XRD source files, data files, and binaries
~mcidas/mcidas202x/zlib zlib 1.2.8 files for the NEXRAD servers

Removing the Previous Version of McIDAS-X

If you have installed and tested a new version of McIDAS-X and/or McIDAS-XRD and are satisfied they are working properly, you can remove the previous version of the packages. To do so, complete the numbered instructions below.

1. Open an Ubuntu shell and run command whoami to verify that you are logged in as the main user account (created in the previous page). Then use sudo to login as mcidas.

Type:  sudo -u mcidas -i

2. Remove the mcidasversion# directory tree and its contents, replacing version# with the previous version number.

Type:  sh  ./mcidasversion#.sh  unmake  all

The messages below are displayed when the unmake is successfully completed.

./mcidasversion#.sh: McIDAS-X unmake completed normally.
./mcidasversion#.sh: McIDAS-XRD unmake completed normally.

3. Remove the following files:


[Search Manual] [Table of Contents] [Go to Previous] [Go to Next]