20001012: McIDAS-X 7.7 build/install/configure (cont.)

>From:  address@hidden
>Organization:  UVa
>Keywords:  200010111541.e9BFfL419853 McIDAS-X 7.70 configure Linux Xwidows

Jennie,

re: ADDE

>Well, I commend your insight is seeing the need for this type of structure
>(or flexibility really, more like anti-structure).  I am finally 
>convinced of the beauty of ADDE.

It is interesting to see users' reactions when they finally "get"
ADDE.  Gilbert became a big fan after he grasped the possibilities.
Recently Jim DeMarco of Cornell even mentioned how useful ADDE is as an
aside in an email to ldm-users.  It takes awhile, but people eventually
get it.  Not only that, but I fully expect to see McIDAS get to be
easier to use in the near future AND get in wider use.  I will have to
wait until the end of next week to explain this, however.

>For a while, having been used to
>the old system and commands, and being the main user of my own system,
>it just seemed clunky,

Clunky is putting it nicely. :o

>too much typing to invoke new commands, I still
>needed to know the AREA file number ranges and had to organize and set 
>up all these datasets anyway, etc.  It didn't seem like much was being
>saved.  Now however, the real economy and flexibility of this setup
>is apparent.

I agree.

>By the way, is there any performance difference to 
>be a client using data as LOCAL-DATA versus using the same system 
>as server and client?  I only ask because it seems it would remove
>the need for setting up a lot of redirection files for students working
>with data from different experiments or case studies.  In theory, I
>could just ask for all datasets to be served from windfall.evsc.virginia.edu,
>right?  (Like I say, its conceivable to me that this would affect
>performance and may not be a good idea).

Hey! You really DO get it now!!  This is what I have been recommending
to my sites all along.  I even told you about doing this during one of
our many confabs on ADDE, but I guess that it was too early.  The
beauty of using the remote server access, even if it is on the same
machine, is the end user does not have to setup all of those nasty
McIDAS things like REDIRECTions.  It starts to make using the package a
lot less burdensome.  Of course, somebody has to setup the 'mcidas'
account to understand where data files are (e.g., REDIRECTion entries
and proper MCPATHs).

re: A phone call wouldn't hurt.

>Good idea, when is the party, just so I don't call at the wrong
>time?

The party starts at 4 pm our time.  I assume that she will be in the
office today, but I have no real way of knowing.

re: it was useful to setup the TOPSE and realtime dataserver access

>Good.

Later.

Tom
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* Tom Yoksas                                             UCAR Unidata Program *
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