20001121: help completing install

>From: Gary Cunning <address@hidden>
>Organization: NCAR/RAP
>Keywords: 200011061722.eA6HMI408974 GOES imagery

Gary,

>I was able to build, test and install mcidas on my desktop computer
>(linux, debian 2.1).

Very good.

>I am at the point of setting up the data distribution.

I assume you mean access to data.

>I read the relevant sections on this point, but I think I
>will quickly screw up the task. Can I get some help finishing the
>install.

OK.  Exactly what are your objectives?

>In addition I would like to setup two more additional datasets.

Two "more"?  In addition to what?

>first, I would like to bring back some satellite images from AWC to work
>on.

OK, this should be simple enough.  I would:

o create a directory somewhere to put the data files in (do not put them
  in ~mcidas/data or ~mcidas/workdata)

o depending on how the files are named, you could:

  o setup file REDIRECTions for images in files whose names follow the
    AREA file naming convention (AREAnnnn, where nnnn is a 4 digit
    number ranging from 0001 to 9999)

  o setup a dataset directly using the DIRFILE= keyword of the DSSERVE
    command

The latter option is the way I would go.

>Second, I would like to install the "storm of the century" dateset,
>used in the Learning Guide.

This is easy enough.  The file learn.data.tar.Z in the data/tutorial
directory of the passworded McIDAS FTP account contains all of the
McIDAS storm of the century data files.  You should FTP this file in
binary mode and extract the data files into the ~mcidas/data/tutorial
directory (this directory gets made by the McIDAS-X installation).
After you have done the unpacking, you need to setup access to the data
files in McIDAS.  If you followed the installation instructions, you
would by this point have created a file called LOCAL.NAM in the
~mcidas/data/directory.  LOCAL.NAM is a copy of
~mcidas/data/EXAMPLE.NAM that you edit and setup directory locations
that match your installation.

The files for the storm of the century dataset that you will be concerned
with are:

AREA8*
GRID8*
MDXX8*

LOCAL.NAM contains skeleton REDIRECTion definitions for these files
of the form:

AREA8*       /home/mcidas/data/tutorial
GRID8*       /home/mcidas/data/tutorial
MDXX8*       /home/mcidas/data/tutorial

If you installed McIDAS-X in /home/mcidas, then you will be set for
accessing the data files after you restore the LOCAL.NAM REDIRECTions
in a McIDAS-X session:

REDIRECT REST LOCAL.NAM

After doing this, you can test to see if you can access the data files
by use of the McIDAS DMAP command:

DMAP AREA8
DMAP GRID8
DMAP MDXX8

If listings from these DMAP invocations show that your session can find
the data files, then you are almost finished.

After your session can find the data files, you need to define the
BLIZZARD dataset.  This is most easily done by using the BLIZADDE.BAT
file that is included in the learn.data.tar.Z file that you FTP to
/home/mcidas/data/tutorial.

REDIRECT ADD BLIZADDE.BAT "/home/mcidas/tutorial

Verify that your McIDAS session can now find BLIZADDE.BAT:

DMAP BLIZADDE.BAT

Peruse the BLIZADDE.BAT BATCH file to see what DSSERVE commands it is
running:

SEE BLIZADDE.BAT

If all above is successful, you can use this McIDAS BATCH file as follows:

BATCH BLIZADDE.BAT

At this point, you should be able to use McIDAS ADDE commands to
access/manipualte/display/etc the data files in the BLIZZARD dataset.

I suggest that you get the BLIZZARD dataset setup first so you get the
feel for what is needed to define McIDAS access to data and ADDE
datasets.  When this is working, we can tackle FTPing AWC data files
and creating new datasets with them.

Tom