Installation Instructions
VLAB for Linux 1.0

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Overview

System Requirements

There are usually two different scenarios for installing VLAB, depending on how many people are going to be using VLAB at your site. If there is only one person going to be using it, you can perform Personal Installation. Otherwise, Site Installation is probably a better choice as it can save some disk space.

Personal Installation An individual user installs VLAB. This person will be the only person using VLAB.
Site Installation VLAB is installed in a global location by a system administrator. Multiple users use this installation, but maintain their own customization files.

VLAB can be installed using the following 3 steps. Depending on which installation you are going to perform, you might have to omit some steps.

Step 1: Installing the Distribution

The following steps install VLAB. If your administrator already performed this step, you can skip to the next step. Just find out where VLAB is installed.

a Download the VLAB source code, vlab-1.0-linux.tar.gz, to some directory, for example:
    /usr/local

and change to that directory, for example:

    > cd /usr/local
b Un-zip and un-tar the downloaded binary distribution:
    > gunzip < vlab-1.0-linux.tar.gz | tar xf -
c This will create a directory called vlab-super, for example:
    /usr/local/vlab-super

change into this newly created directory:

    > cd vlab-super
d To configure, type:
    > ./configure

Output similar to the following should be printed:

    VLAB configuration started
    Your architecture is: i686-pc-linux-gnu
    Found appropriate makefile.
    Creating a new config/Makefile.in from config/Makefile.i686-pc-linux-gnu . ok

Once configuration is complete, this output is printed:

    Configuration complete. To build vlab please type:

    make build

    To install vlab please type:

    make install

    Please use GNU make utility or a compatible one.
e

To build VLAB:

    > make build

This will remove all object files and executables that exist (if any), make dependancies,and compile all of the source code to generate the executables.

Depending on your hardware, this step may take a few minutes.
f

To install VLAB:

    > make install

The user who is installing will be prompted for the installation directory. Let's call this directory <vlabdir>.

Enter the installation directory at the prompt, or type ENTER to accept the default directory:

    Where do you want to install VLAB?
    (/usr/local/vlab): |

Then, installation proceeds. As each component is installed, it is printed.

    Installing VLAB in /usr/local/vlab
    - executables:
    - browser: ok
    etc...
    ...

    Done
    VLAB Installation complete.

This procedure installed all VLAB components in <vlabdir>/bin/i686 and the default configuration files in <vlabdir>/config. It also installed an example OOFS database in <vlabdir>/oofs. VLAB documentation can be found in the <vlabdir>/html-docs directory.

Step 2: Modifying Your Shell Startup Files

In order for you to be able to run the vlab application from any command-line, you first have set some environment variables. This is what the sourceme.sh and sourceme.csh scripts are for. The best way to do this is to source them automatically from one of the startup files (for example, .cshrc).

a Determine which shell you are using.
Most people use sh, csh, tcsh or bash.
b Modify your startup files: 
  • If your shell is 'sh' or 'bash', add the following line at the end of your ~/.profile file:
    . <vlabdir>/bin/sourceme.sh
  • If your shell is 'csh' add the following line at the end of your ~/.cshrc file:
    source <vlabdir>/bin/sourceme.csh
  • If your shell is 'tcsh' add the following line to the end of your ~/.tcshrc file:
    source <vlabdir>/bin/sourceme.csh

Remember: replace <vlabdir> with the full directory name you obtained in step 1f.

Step 3: Testing the Installation

After you have modified your startup files, you have to bring the changes to effect. Logout and log back in. Now type the following atthe command line:

Remember: replace <vlabdir> with the full directory name you obtained in step 1f.

The VLAB Object Browser should open with the default OOFS database. If it does not, something went wrong. Go back through the installation steps and try again.

Installation Complete - Good Luck!

VLAB documentation can be found in the <vlabdir>/html-docs directory.

Please contact us through email if you have any questions:
vlab@cpsc.ucalgary.ca

The home page for VLAB is:
http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~pwp/bmv/vlab-for-linux/html-docs/index.html
VLAB Home
Last updated December, 2001 by Joanne Penner