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20010220: request for access to RedHat 5.2 Linux for testing (cont.)

>From: Robert Ballentine <address@hidden>
>Organization: SUNY Oswego
>Keywords: 200102052335.f15NZkX27276 McIDAS-X ADDE Linux

Bob,

>   I would like to try using McIDAS on met-05.oswego.edu.  Would you
>please tell me the mcidas user's password.

I wish I knew it.  I have been having to login as ldm; become root; and
then become McIDAS.  Since you don't remember the password and since I
never knew it, it is a good time to change it :-).

Here is what I did:

o setup McIDAS-XCD decoding to run from the LDM.  This involved:

  o editing ~ldm/etc/ldmd.conf (actually, ldmd.*)

    I added the line:

exec    "/apps/ldm/util/xcd_run MONITOR"


    This runs the script 'xcd_run" which I copied from ~mcidas/bin to ~ldm/util
    and edited to set needed McIDAS environment variables (the environment
    variables get set to match the McIDAS installation; xcd_run has the
    information on doing this)
   
  o editing ~ldm/etc/pqact.conf

    I added the lines:

#
# McIDAS-XCD
#
DDPLUS|IDS      ^.*     PIPE
        /apps/ldm/util/xcd_run DDS
HRS     ^.*     PIPE
        /apps/ldm/util/xcd_run HRS

    These run the same 'xcd_run' script and tell it to startup the McIDAS-XCD
    intestors for textual (DDS) and binary (model output, HRS) data.

    Even though I setup the possibility of decoding model data into McIDAS GRID
    files, I did not turn this on.  The reasons that I did not turn GRID 
decoding
    on were:

    o to let the textual decoding run (and get scoured; I added an entry into 
root's
      crontab file)
    
    o I wanted to chat with you about if you wanted GRID decoding truned on.  
McIDAS
      GRID files can get pretty large (no packing like GEMPAK), so it is easy
      to use up disk space in a hurry.

o setup the McIDAS remote ADDE server.  This was the step I needed to do to run
  the tests that I needed to run on your machine.  The remote ADDE server allows
  remote machines (remote may mean the same machine throught the remote 
interface;
  other machines on the same local area network; or any machine that can
  reach the server through TCP/IP ethernet).  I have exercised your remote
  server during testing extensively from my machine at home (where I am
  writing this reply (I have a spectacular ADSL connection))

  Access to your remote ADDE server can be controlled in a couple of different
  ways.  Right now, it is open to the world.  I wouldn't worry about this as
  a security hole since it is unlikely that the connection can be hacked, and
  there is no possibility of doing anything except read McIDAS data files
  on your machine.  I can, however, work with you to setup TCP wrappers on
  the ports used by the ADDE server (ports 500 and 503) if you like.

After you change the 'mcidas' password, you should be able to login and startup
a McIDAS session.  You can do this in a couple of different ways:

type:

mcidas          <- this will bring up a session with the old, familiar Image and
                   Text and Command windows

type:

mcidas config   <- this iwll bring up a little GUI that will allow you to start
                   with

                   o the normal Image and Text and Command windows; 

                   o the normal Image and Text and Command windows and the Fkey 
menu

                   o a MCGUI invocation of McIDAS

                   The GUI startup of McIDAS allows you to easily set the
                   size of the Image window, how many frames you will have
                   and other things.  The persistent settings for these things
                   are stored in the file ~/.mcidasrc; a file that is created
                   the first time a user starts McIDAS with the 'mcidas'
                   invocation above.

Either invocation will allow you to get your feet wet with McIDAS once again.

Since you havn't used the package for awhile, it is likely that you will
need to get a refresher about some of the old capabilities and get exposed
to some of the new capabilities of the package.  The easiest way to do
this is to work through the training workshop and/or tutorial.  Bot
of these can be found in the DOCS section (click the DOCS button located
in the top frame) of the McIDAS WWW HomePage:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/mcidas/770

Please let me know if/when you have questions.

Tom

>From address@hidden Tue Feb 20 22:00:35 2001
>Subject: Re: 20010220: request for access to RedHat 5.2 Linux for testing 
>(cont.) 

Tom:

   Thanks very much for setting up McIDAS on met-05.
I started using it this afternoon for a while.  I 
will need to practice quite a bit to become familiar
with it again.  I found a page of commands that we used
several years ago, and I will use the McIDAS Web Page as
a guide.

   I think I will pass on the grid files.  We do not have
much disk space on met-05.  I am hoping to upgrade our
LDM server to Linux 7.x this summer on a computer with
a 20 GByte drive.

   I'll keep my eye on our log messages in case we begin
to get hacked into on met-05.  We have had problems in
the last week or so with someone breaking into another one
of our computers.  So far it looks like met-05 has been
secure.

   Thanks again for your help with McIDAS.
   Bob