Installing the Phase I Tool

Note: a new version of the PIT for 2008B is now available.

This page contains instructions for downloading and installing the Phase I Tool (PIT). You can install the software on individual machines or for an entire network of workstations. Versions are available for the following operating systems from the Phase I software directory:

• Windows (95 / 98 / NT / 2000 / XP)
• Solaris (9, 8 or 7 recommended, version 2.6 may be possible with patches but not tested)
• Linux (Fedora Core or Redhat Enterprise, 9.x, 8.x or 7.x recommended)
• Mac OS X (Tiger or Leopard with Java 1.5)

If you experience any problems installing or running the PIT, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for the latest information.

A new version of the PIT has been produced for semester 2008B. Please read the description of new features on the Hot News page. (As in recent semesters all joint proposals must be submitted through PIT. Backend servers installed at all partners National Offices allow automatic electronic submission to multiple partners at the same time). Proposals written using older versions of the PIT can be read into the new PIT. However, some information (e.g. instrument resources) may not be converted or will be missing.

Except for previous proposals (saved as XML files), all earlier versions of the PIT should be uninstalled or otherwise completely removed before installing this version. To uninstall on Unix, first move any XML files you created to a safe location. Then simply delete the entire directory tree where the old version of PIT was installed. To uninstall on Windows or Mac, use the un-installer program to remove PIT. The new PIT includes an updated resource file that defines the specific capabilities relevant to the forthcoming semester (e.g. instruments, semester dates).

The distribution contains an example proposal (GeminiDemo.xml) which you can load from the default directory using the "Open" (previously saved program) button within the PIT. In this example, the joint proposal was previously submitted and hence the "submit" page items specific to each partner are disabled; the submission status can be "reset" using the appropriate button. 

The PIT software is available on the Gemini software site. You should use your web browser to download the files (follow this link to browse the software directory). Depending on your browser, right or shift+click to save the file.

The PIT will automatically search on-line guide star catalogue servers for suitable wavefront sensor stars. Use the GSC test page to check the connection from your site to various servers. If your computer is behind a firewall and accesses the internet via a proxy server, see instructions on how to configure PIT so that the guide star catalogue and submission features operate correctly. 

Please read the installation instructions below for your preferred operating system:

• Windows
• Solaris
• Redhat linux
• Mac OS X

Using the Gemini Phase I Tool on Windows

The Phase I tool has been extensively tested on Windows 2000 and XP. The Windows version appears to extremely stable; see the FAQ page for the latest information. We have no reason to believe there will be problems on NT as long as the Java included in our distribution is used.

Installing on Windows

• Download the current Windows distribution of the Phase I Tool from the Gemini ftp site (follow the link to browse the ftp directory and right or shift+click the file named PIT_2008B*_win*).
• The Windows distribution is provided as a Windows executable installer.
• Use Windows Explorer to display the directory in which you downloaded the installer. You must have at least 20 megabytes of disk space available to install the Phase I Tool on Windows.
• Double-click the installer executable and follow the installer instructions. When the installation is completed, you will see a congratulatory message. Press the "Done" button to exit.
• The installation places a Gemini/PIT entry in your start menu. Selecting the entry launches the Phase I Tool.

Results from previous benchmarking of the PIT are shown below. Sufficient memory appears to be the most important element affecting performance and, whilst PIT will run with less, we suggest a minimum of 64 megabytes of memory and a recent Pentium or Athlon/Opteron processor when using the Phase I Tool on the Windows platform.

Using the Gemini Phase I Tool on Solaris

Solaris 7, 8 or 9 are the recommended Sun operating systems for running the Phase I Tool. It may be possible to use Solaris 2.6 if numerous patches are installed although this has not been tested.

For correct operation in all situations, you must run PIT on a properly patched Solaris OS. Gemini has collected all patches Sun recommends for using Java on these Solaris releases. The easiest way to gather Solaris patches is to follow one of the URLs below. See the following URLs for more information on Solaris patches.

• Solaris Operating Environment Patches for Java 2 SDK, Standard Edition, v1.4.0
  
• SunSolve Public Patch Access
  
• SunSolve Patch Access for Support Contract Customers

We have created several scripts which will indicate if your Solaris workstation has the required patches installed. You can download the patch-checking script from the ftp site - see the TestForPatches* files for Solaris versions 6, 7 and 8 (see also the included README file). Please check with your System Administrator before installing patches. For more information and a worked example, see the PIT/OT patch instructions.

Installing on Solaris

• Download the current Solaris distribution of the Phase I Tool from the Gemini ftp site (follow the link to browse the ftp directory and right or shift+click the file named PIT_2008B*_solaris*).
• Use gunzip and tar to unpack the distribution in a directory where you have at least 55 megabytes of disk space.
  gunzip -c filename | tar -xvf -
• The distribution unpacks into a single directory named "solaris".
• Run the PIT. You can use the complete path to the startup script, as shown below (where the $ represents your shell prompt), or you can include that directory in your PATH. 
  ${where_you_untarred}/solaris/PIT.sh

Results from previous benchmarking of the PIT are shown below. Whilst PIT will run with less, we suggest that the machine should be a recent UltraSparc with at least 128 megabytes of memory.

Using the Gemini Phase I Tool on Redhat Linux

The Phase I Tool can be used on recent RedHat Linux distributions, including Enterprise, 9.x, 8.x and 7.x, and Fedora Core (Note that you cannot use the twm window manager).

Installing on Linux

• Download the current Redhat Linux distribution of the Phase I Tool to the Gemini ftp site (follow the link to browse the ftp directory and right or shift+click the file named PIT_2008B*_linux*).
• Use gunzip and tar to unpack the distribution in a directory where you have at least 35 megabytes of disk space.
  gunzip -c filename | tar -xvf -
• The distribution unpacks into a single directory named "linux".
• Run the PIT. You can use the complete path to the startup script, as shown below (where the $ represents your shell prompt), or you can include that directory in your PATH.
  ${where_you_untarred}/linux/PIT.sh

Results from previous benchmarking of the PIT are shown below. Sufficient memory appears to be the most important element affecting performance and, whilst PIT will run with less, we suggest a minimum of 64 megabytes of memory and a recent Pentium or Athlon/Opteron processor when using the Phase I Tool.

Using the Gemini Phase I Tool on Mac OS X

The Phase I Tool has been tested on Mac OS X 10.4 or newer (but not earlier OS versions) and appears to work properly. You must have a 1.5 Java virtual machine installed on you machine to use the Phase I Tool. It should already be installed if you are using 10.4+ and regularly use software update. The virtual machine will be available through the Software Update system preference panel if it isn't already installed.

Installing on Macintosh OS X

• Download the current OS X distribution of the Phase I Tool to the Gemini ftp site (follow the link to browse the ftp directory and right or shift+click the file named PIT_2008B*_osx*).
• The Macintosh OS X distribution is provided as an executable installer.
• Use the Finder to display the directory in which you downloaded the installer. You must have at least 6 megabytes of disk space available to install the Phase I Tool on Mac OS X.
• Double-click the installer executable and follow the installer instructions. When the installation is completed, you will see a congratulatory message. Press the "Done" button to exit.
• The installation places an alias icon on your desktop. Double clicking the entry launches the Phase I Tool.

PIT benchmarks

Approximate times for PIT to start up on various machines are given as a guide to the effect of processor and memory on performance. On PCs benchmarking was carried out with no other applications loaded, on Sparcs under their 'usual' system loading.

Last update February 19, 2008; Bryan Miller