Bringing up IRAF

Before running IRAF, there is a simple set-up procedure which is computer- and operating system-dependent. The necessary steps to obtain the correct set-up for a SUN workstation are listed below. Specific instructions should be obtained by the user from local computer system and IRAF managers.¹

Tasks to be performed:

1.

create a user directory from which IRAF will be run (called `myiraf' in these examples). This will contain the user set-up specifications and other IRAF-related subdirectories.

2.

create an image directory in a disk partition where there is enough space to contain large files (image arrays). Usually this is assigned by the system manager in a scratch area, periodically cleaned by the system. Data files should be kept in this image directory (imdir); the IRAF *.pix files are automatically stored in imdir.

3.

move into the `myiraf' subdirectory, and run the procedure mkiraf. This creates a file (login.cl) which executes the set-up each time a new IRAF session is started. mkiraf should be run every time there is a new release of IRAF.

An example execution of these tasks appears below.

To customize a few of the default options (e.g., type of editor, default printer), the user has two options:

• edit the login.cl file. This requires editing and reassigning user choices every time mkiraf is run since mkiraf initializes login.cl at each execution of mkiraf.
• create a loginuser.cl file that contains user customizations. The assignments in this file override those in login.cl. The file needs to be changed only to reflect changes in the user choices.

IRAF can be run from any terminal. However, graphics or image display capabilities require the appropriate hardware.

Throughout this document we use `visitor' as the username, `/pool' as the scratch area, `/pool/visitor' as the image directory (imdir) and `myiraf' as the sub-directory from which IRAF will be run (home).