Re: 20010314: Unidata Users Committee Meeting

Hi Daryl,

I am copying the Users Committee and Unidata support on this response.  I'm 
sure you will receive information on the issues you raise.  The 24 bit color 
issue was an action item (from the last meeting) that was reported on last week.
I'm sure Steve Chiswell will provide a response on this issue.

There was a meeting early last week with FSL regarding the PC Linux 
workstation.   There are technical issues, but another meeting is planned to 
continue discussions about the software.

A survey will be forwarded to the Unidata user community over the next couple 
of months, and we hope you take the time to respond.  The Users Committee spent 
quite some time crafting the survey during their meeting last week.

Thanks again for your comments and interest, Daryl.

Linda

--On Sunday, March 18, 2001 7:07 PM -0600 Daryl Herzmann <address@hidden> 
wrote:

> Hi,
>          I was on spring break when this email came and I have a note for
> the Users Committee.  I hesitate to email it to the usercomm address if
> the meeting is over, if this comment is still appropiate please forward it
> on or if it isn't please forward it to the bit bucket :)
>
> RE:  GEMPAK  --   8 bits per pixel limitation
>
>
>          I have been actively using GEMPAK for various projects at Iowa
> State.  I have been very happy with the support provided, so I hesitate to
> complain, since I know that staff is probably allready taxed with other
> things.  My major complaint is with the 8bpp limitation of GEMPAK software
> and the rise of low cost LINUX workstations.
>
>          I currently am involved with numerous weather data projects at
> Iowa State and the National Weather Service in Johnston, Iowa.  Up until
> recently, ISU and the NWS have been using SGI workstations and HP stations
> which only do 8bpp, this is makes using GEMPAK very convient.  BUT now
> things are changing, the old kludgy hardware are being replaced by high
> performance LINUX workstations.  These machines also include high end
> graphics cards that have 24 bpp displays, now running GEMPAK is a
> nightmare.
>
>          One solution, that does not pratically work, is to run two X
> displays with one at 8 bpp and the other at 24 bpp and educate the users
> to switch displays, but unfortunately, LINUX does not handle this
> smoothly, at least in my experience.  If there is a known solution, I
> would be elated to know.
>
>          So I shrug and read the support archives at
> UNIDATA.  Unfortunately, when anybody raises the color problems, the
> common answer is, "You need to run 8bpp, not run a window manager like
> GNOME and not have netscape open."  I wish that I would see, "You need to
> run at 8bpp, we are currently working on fixing this 'problem.'"  But I
> have not seen anything like this and it is really depressing.  I am not a
> programmer, so I am not sure of the complexities involved in making GEMPAK
> work with more colors.
>
>          I get local support emails all the time from students and NWS
> people asking about the color problems and my response is, "Please use the
> old and comparitively slow SGIs." (shrug)  So the user usually just goes
> to the web and does not bother.
>
>          Recently at the NWS, I have seen FSL D2D working on the LINUX
> boxes and at 24 bpp, so I am optimistic that maybe I can install it at
> Iowa State (I do not know if license problems will come up and I have not
> looked into adapting our IDD feed for D2D use).  If the 8bpp problem
> continues to exist, I will investigate D2D further.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>          Daryl Herzmann
>          Senior in Meteorology
>          Iowa State
>
>
> On Wed, 14 Mar 2001, Linda Miller wrote:
>
> ~|All,
> ~|
> ~|There will be a Unidata Users Committee meeting in Boulder on 15-16 March.
> If  ~|you have issues or questions you want the Committee to address, please
> send a  ~|note to: <address@hidden>
> ~|
> ~|You can see the agenda items at:
> ~|
> ~|<http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/community/committees/users/agenda.01.03.html>
> ~|
> ~|Thanks,
> ~|Linda
> ~|
> ~|Linda Miller - address@hidden
> ~|External Liaison, Unidata
> ~|University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
> ~|P.O. Box 3000
> ~|Boulder, CO 80307-3000
> ~|303 497-8646 fax: 303-497-8690
> ~|URL:  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/lmiller/un.act.html
> ~|



Linda Miller - address@hidden
External Liaison, Unidata
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
303 497-8646 fax: 303-497-8690
URL:  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/lmiller/un.act.html