20010726: f2c compiler for McIDAS-X build

>From: Wayne Bresky <address@hidden>
>Organization: Cornell
>Keywords: 200107261641.f6QGft109510 McIDAS f2c

Wayne,

>Is it possible to install McIDAS 7.7 on a Linux workstation running RH 7.1
>with just a binary version of f2c?

Yes.  Remember that you also need the f2c library, libf2c, and the f2c
include file, f2c.h.  I make all three files available in the passworded
McIDAS FTP account under the unix/<dist>/fortran/RedHat6.x directory.
My _strong_ recommendation is to install these under /usr/local:

/usr/local/bin/f2c
/usr/local/lib/f2c.h
/usr/local/include/libf2c.a

You then set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable in the 'mcidas' account
to include /user/local/lib first:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:/lib:/usr/lib

The reason for putting stuff in /usr/local relates to whether or not
you build the f2c stuff from source.  If you do, you can end up
building both the static library, libf2c.a, and the shared library,
libf2c.so.  The shared library is missing one entry point that is
needed in the McIDAS build/link process.  The static library, on the
other hand, has that entry point, so it must be used instead.  On some
Linux systems f2c is bundled with the OS.  On these boxes, one must
link the static libf2c.a library to /usr/local/lib in order for it
to be used in preferance to the shared library.

>Or do I need to dowload the source for the compiler and install it?

Nope.

>Apparently my predecessor here at Cornell (Jim Marco) installed
>McIDAS by doing just that.  I say that because I can't find any evidence
>of the f2c source anywhere.  Nor do I see the libf2c.a file anywhere.
>I'm somewhat confused by what I should be doing next.  Any help would be
>greatly appreciated.

f2c use in building McIDAS is discussed in the Notes and Warnings document
in the McIDAS-X online pages:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/mcidas/770/mcx/warnings_mcx.html

Tom Yoksas