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Subsections

2. Installing aXe

2.1 Requirements

The following are required to run aXe:

To compile the C-code you need:


2.1.1 aXe Distribution

aXe is distributed as part of the STSDAS software package. However, aXe is still under development, and the current version distributed with STSDAS 3.7 is aXe-1.6. New aXe releases incorporate improvements over previous versions, but the release dates cannot always be coordinated with new STSDAS releases. We therefore offer the newest post aXe-1.6 release for download on the aXe webpages at http://www.stecf.org/instruments/ACSgrism/axe. After the installation, aXe-1.6 is loaded and used as the local package taxe16 within PyRAF.

New aXe releases from the aXe webpage usually have tasks with the same names as in previous releases and in the STSDAS version of aXe, but the implementation (e.g. parameter settings) of the tasks may have changed. To keep the aXe tasks in your STSDAS distribution separate from the new aXe tasks downloaded from the aXe webpages, the aXe tasks distributed via the webpage always start with the letter t. For example, the task tsex2gol in the (local) taxe16 package corresponds to the task sex2gol in STSDAS, taf2pet in taxe16 corresponds to af2pet in STSDAS, and so on. While this manual describes always the newest aXe releases from the website, the tasks are named with the non-prefix version throughout the manual. In case that you downloaded the newest version from the website and intend to work with it, don't forget to put a t in front of every command you find in the manual. Otherwise you may still use an old aXe distributed with STSDAS, which may have a different syntax and different behaviour.


2.2 Installing from the aXe source distribution

After downloading the aXe-1.6 tarball
(http://www.stecf.org/instruments/ACSgrism/axe/taxe16_download.php), move it to the installation directory /your/aXe1.6/path and unpack it there with:
>gunzip aXe1.6-taxe16src.tar.gz
>tar -xvf aXe1.6-taxe16src.tar
aXe-1.6 consists of a part written in ANSI C and a second part written in Python (www.python.org). For the C part a configure script is included with aXe. To configure and then compile the C tasks do the following:
>cd taxe16/ccc
>./configure
For MacsOSX, the option "-build=powerpc" must be added to the configure command for Power PC machines, and the option ``-build=i386-pc-macosx'' for Intel Macs . If some libraries used by aXe are not installed in the usual places, online parameters must be used to tell the configure script where to find them. For example
./configure --with-cfitsio-prefix=/your_axelibs/cfitsio 
     --with-gsl-prefix=/your_axelibs/gsl-1.0 
     --with-wcstools-prefix=/your_axelibs/wcstools-3.0.4
specifies explicitly the location of the GSL and the CFITSIO library. Follow the instructions given by the configure script to solve problems. The configure script generates a Makefile which is used to compile the aXe-tasks. Type
>make
to execute the Makefile and create the tasks. The tasks must be installed in the bin directory of the taxe16 package. Simply execute
>make install
to move the binaries to their proper location.

On the Python side there exists a similar script to compile the code. Go to the Python directory and compile the Python code there with:

>cd ../iraf
>python compileaXe.py .
If all went well, aXe-1.6 is now ready. The new package with its tasks must be declared in PyRAF. To do this, add the following lines near the end of your login.cl file, or in loginuser.cl:
reset   taxe16           = /your/aXe1.6/path/taxe16/iraf/
task    taxe16.pkg       = taxe16$taxe16.cl
reset   helpdb          = (envget("helpdb") //",taxe16$lib/helpdb.mip")
The next time PyRAF is launched, the package taxe16 should be available. It can then be loaded as any other package by simply typing its name:
--> taxe16

  The aXe software package 1.6 was developed by the ACS group
  of the ST-ECF. Further information and documentation is
  available at the aXe pages:
  http://www.stecf.org/instruments/ACSgrism/axe/
  Any questions regarding this software can  be directed to:
  acsdesk@eso.org

taxe16/:
 taf2pet        taxeprep        tfcubeprep      tpetcont
 taxecore       tbackest        tgol2af         tpetff
 taxedrizzle    tdrz2pet        tiolprep        tsex2gol
 taxegps        tdrzprep        tpet2spc        tstamps
-->
The message which appears during the loading of the package and the task overview indicate that everything went OK and that the tasks can be used from now on. The package can be used by more than one user. Other users only have to modify their login.cl or loginuser.cl as described above to access the aXe1.6 package and the tasks within it (provided that they have access to the installation directory).

aXe-1.6 was successfully built and tested under Fedora Core 3 and Solaris 2.8. It should be no problem to install aXe-1.6 under other Unix or Unix-like operating systems such as HPUX or MacOSX.

2.3 Installing from the aXe binary distributions

Several distributions of aXe with compiled, statically linked, C tasks are available for download from the aXe web pages. Download the source tarball aXe1.61-taxe16src.tar.gz, and then select and download the binary distribution which is appropriate for your platform. After downloading the aXe source distribution, move it to your preferred location /your/aXe1.6/path and unpack it there with:
>gunzip aXe1.6-taxe16src.tar.gz
>tar -xvf  aXe1.6-taxe16src.tar
Then move the C-binaries to their proper location and unpack them there:
>mv aXe1.6-<arch>.bin.tar.gz taxe16/iraf/bin/.
>cd taxe16/iraf/bin/
>gunzip aXe1.6-<arch>.bin.tar.gz
>tar -xvf aXe1.6-<arch>.bin.tar
The Python code must still be compiled. To do that execute:
>cd ..
>python compileaXe.py .
aXe-1.6 is now ready. Declare the new package in PyRAF by adding the following lines near the end of your login.cl file, or in loginuser.cl:
reset   taxe16           = /your/aXe1.6/path/taxe16/iraf/
task    taxe16.pkg       = taxe16$taxe16.cl
reset   helpdb          = (envget("helpdb") //",taxe16$lib/helpdb.mip")
The next time PyRAF is launched, the package taxe16 is available. It can be loaded with ``-->taxe16'' from the PyRAF shell.


2.4 Validating the aXe installation

Test data with grism and prism images can can be obtained from the aXe web site. Un-zip and un-tar the test data file in a clean directory and follow the instructions given in the README file. The grism test data consist of a set of science frames taken from the HUDF HRC Parallels program. Figs. 1.2, 1.5 and 1.10 show some of the data products generated during the test reduction.

The prism test data was taken as part of the calibration proposal 10391 (PI: S.S. Larsen).

Reference spectra generated by running aXe-1.6 on the test data also supplied as part of the test package. If the output obtained by running aXe-1.6 on the test data is identical to these reference spectra, the proper working of aXe-1.6 is assured.


2.5 aXe Mailing List

We have installed an aXe mailing list to keep users informed about new developments and updates concerning aXe. To the subscribers, the mailing list also offers the opportunity to share and discuss their experiences with aXe. We encourage all aXe users to participate and use the mailing list as a discussion forum for aXe and aXe related issues. The aXe software package is still evolving, and the communication between the software developers and the users is very important to improve the future versions of aXe.

The subscription to the aXe mailing list is done by sending an email to majordomo@stecf.org with the content subscribe axe@stecf.org in the mail body.

To unsubscribe from the aXe mailing list, please send an email to
majordomo@stecf.org with the content unsubscribe axe@stecf.org in the mail body.


2.6 aXe Support

The ACS group at the Space Telescope - European Coordinating Facility (STECF) is responsible for the support of the spectroscopic modes of ACS. The development of the aXe software package and the preparation of calibration products for the reduction are key components of this support. To request further help and information concerning aXe or the calibration products, please contact us with an email to acsdesk@eso.org.
next up previous contents index
Next: 3. Using aXe Up: aXe 1.6 User Manual Previous: 1. Description   Contents   Index
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