Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Getting IRAF the easy way

If you have ever reduced astronomic data, then is almost sure that you know the IRAF package. Despite being old and cumbersome this package is unvaluable for image reduction and analysis in astronomy.

However it's installation is a quite involved ritual, well, not anymore. Realizing that the entry where I discussed a debian package for IRAF was the most visited one, I am posting a much better solution: installation scripts, you can use this scripts for installing IRAF (and related packages like ds9) in ubuntu, and in Scientific Linux (this script should also work in Opensuse and Fedora). Just download them anywere and follow the instructions on screen. This scripts are only small modifications from the original one by amd77. Just make sure you have installed csh (it is in the universe repository in ubuntu and quite probably in the distribution media of Fedora and Opensuse) , you just need to run the comand: bash installiraf_* and enter your password in Ubuntu or the root password in other distro, so here are the scripts (links not working):
After running the script you should run the command mkiraf for creating a login.cl file, I have that file in my home directory but you can put it anywhere, just remember to start iraf (the command is cl) from the same directory.

Update:

Since I posted this (quite a long ago) there have been all sort of changes in of libraries/packages included in modern distributions. Since there is no simple way to address this isssue (there are 6 versions of Ubuntu, 6 of Fedora and 5 of opensuse in the past 3 years, and that not counting that both come in 32 and 64 bit versions) I declare the scripts dead.

Nonetheless, an iso image which includes an useful installer is now being offered at: http://www.astro.uson.mx/favilac/downloads/ubuntu-iraf/iso/IRAF_Ubuntu.iso. Just keep in mind that it only works for 32 bit kernels (which are the majority of installed kernels, anyway).

The same autor also offers a (rather outdated) set of rpms at http://www.astro.uson.mx/favilac/downloads/IRAF/ . Find out which one is better suited for your distro and add it to your repos. I have not tried to install from these rpms so I can not comment on them.

For users of 64 bit systems only solution I know is to actually download iraf from iraf.net and proceed to install as detailed in the installation manual.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't find saoimage in edgy repositories, so I added warty repositories to make it work.

Also you could have mentioned in the article that you leave default answers for all the questions installation asks for.

Nevertheless, the script has been a great help. Thanks a lot.

What I really don't get is why Debian has Iraf packages, and Ubuntu doesn't?

Jure Kodzoman

Anonymous said...

The debian packages previously at

ftp://iraf.noao.edu/contrib/debian

have disappeared

Luis Sanchez said...

As far as I know, the debian packages aren't available anymore. My guess is that due to the huge number of distributions available the people at NOAO simply abandoned the idea of making packages for each distribution.

By the way if you are using ubuntu edgy and all you need is to open astronomical images you can get DS9 from add/remove utility.

Anonymous said...

Some clarification here, since I spotted this while looking for the answer to another question...

I'm the first Debian maintainer for IRAF; NOAO never built any packages for Debian themselves, it was always done by Debian volunteers. IRAF was eventually removed from the main Debian distribution because a number of the components had licenses that left them non-free or completely unredistributable outside of NOAO, and the resulting crippled version simply wasn't viable. Justin Pryzby attempted to take over the building and packaging of the next version to be released, and after much work got a working set of packages built, but had to distribute them from the iraf.noao.edu site due to the licensing problems. Eventually, he too appears to have lost interest in attempting to keep that behemoth of a package building cleanly (and trust me, getting it to compile properly at all can be monstrously difficult, much less in an automated fashion suitable for package building), especially given its permanently uncorrectable unofficial status, and bitrot (library changes, mostly, I suspect) eventually caused his packages to have problems building.

With no further updates apparently forthcoming, after some time, NOAO simply pulled the nonfunctioning packages off of the FTP site.

No one that I know of is currently attempting to do this again, so end-users will have to compile their own. The last time I tried it, NOAO provided bootstrap IRAF binaries that make this process a lot smoother for users that don't have to worry about redistribution or buildability from original source, so most people won't have the same kind of troubles that the packagers have had. I assume this is still the case.

Shourav said...

This page describes how to setup IRAF on a Ubuntu/Debian machine. Apart from the exact commands, there are some instructions in square brackets that need to be followed. Installation of X11IRAF, DS9, Tables, and STSDAS are included.

http://geco.phys.columbia.edu/~rubab/iraf/

sdfasfasfsfsfas said...

any chance to get the install script back online ? :)

Unknown said...

please make it work again, i need those scripts very much :(

Anonymous said...

A shared web hosting advantage or essential hosting utilization or derive publican refers to a cobweb hosting checking where myriad websites reside on anyone web server connected to the Internet. Each locale "sits" on its own partition, or section/place on the server, to keep it detach from other sites. This is on average the most thrifty choice owing hosting, as diverse people share the entire cost of server maintenance.
[url=http://hostinghouse.pl]hosting[/url]

Anonymous said...

I going to pipe in and echo jacqui and proclaim that this is my favorite way to eat asparagus as well! I do love it roasted in olive oil, alongside a baked sweet potato. [url=http://www.vanessasac.com]vanessa bruno sac [/url] This day was on of the highlights of my exchange till now.. Well, I think it more than that. Information for the Canada Revenue Canada.
We have enemies who seek to destroy us fact that seems to escape Obama[6], and is sometimes forgotten by many Americans as 9/11 recedes in our memories. [url=http://www.icanadagooseca.com]canada goose jacket[/url] Yes, while it can be said tha .. [url=http://officialcanadagoosesoutlet.ca]canada goose parka sale[/url]
[url=http://flyballbags.com]canada goose outlet toronto[/url] The thing is that some of these cell phones are really popular and if you don have a phone arent cool at all and if you dont text somebody in class you're not cool but if you have one of the smartphones that can go to the web or have unlimited thingys you can make up for the cool after class by texting and calling them. [url=http://www.onlinebeatsbydreoutlet.com]pink beats by dre at best buy[/url]

Anonymous said...

Hello. Facebook takes a [url=http://www.freecasinogames.gd]baccarat online[/url] punt move in reverse on 888 casino apportion: Facebook is expanding its efforts to tip real-money gaming to millions of British users after announcing a practise with the online gambling companions 888 Holdings.And Bye.

Anonymous said...

top [url=http://www.001casino.com/]001casino.com[/url] brake the latest [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com/]casino online[/url] autonomous no set aside perk at the chief [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]loosen casino
[/url].

Anonymous said...

I just couldn't go away your web site before suggesting that I actually loved the standard information a person provide in your guests? Is gonna be back ceaselessly to check out new posts

Stop by my website - The page cannot be found

Anonymous said...

Wonderful article! This is the kind of info that should be shared
across the net. Disgrace on the seek engines for no longer positioning this
put up higher! Come on over and talk over with my site .
Thank you =)

Feel free to visit my page Adsense Google

Anonymous said...

Wonderful article! This is the kind of info that should be shared across the net.
Disgrace on the seek engines for no longer positioning this put up higher!
Come on over and talk over with my site . Thank you =)

Look at my website :: Adsense Google
my page :: markenmode shop

Anonymous said...

If you are leasing a car you would like to look at all
the terms and conditions properly before signing the lease.
The issue which comes up is not knowing about the different van or car leasing which is available and not getting
to use the vehicle because of the cost associated with the monthly payment.

This value was to some extent of assessment
on what the market value will be on your van.

Here is my blog post - Cheap Volkswagen deals

Anonymous said...

I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog
posts on this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this web site.

Studying this info So i'm glad to show that I've a very excellent uncanny feeling
I found out just what I needed. I so much definitely will make sure
to don?t put out of your mind this web site
and give it a glance regularly.

Look at my webpage home based business opportunities

Anonymous said...

Great blog you've got here.. It's hard to find quality writing like yours these days.
I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

Look at my homepage :: Utente:VilmaVela - Acerenza wiki

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I simply want to offer you a big thumbs up for the great info you've got here on this post. I am returning to your website for more soon.

Feel free to surf to my homepage :: the tao of badass ebook