AIPS 15OCT99 Release

This document was most recently updated at $Date: 2022/02/18 21:21:37 $ (UT).

15OCT99 IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

The number of bug fixes and changes in 31DEC00 has become so great that we can no longer make the older 15OCT99 version available. Please get the newer version instead, and also refer to the Midnight Job page for how to keep your copy of 31DEC00 fresh and current.

Although 15OCT99 AIPS is no longer available, you can still read the associated AIPSLetter (PS, 804 Kbytes; also available gzipped, 337 Kbytes).

Install Testing results

The following systems were used to verify installation correctness and to generate binaries for the ftp server. Note that the DDT runs which generated the AIPSMarks in the table below may not be carried out under optimal conditions! Take them with the proverbial grain of salt.

Architecture 15OCT99
AIPSMark Status Notes

ALPHA 13.79 Done. hominid: Digital/Compaq AlphaStation 600 5/400, 512 Mbytes memory, OSF/1 4.0D, native compilers.

AXLINUX 7.92 Done. mandrill: Alpha Clone (433 MHz), 128 Mbytes memory, Linux 2.0.34, egcs/1.1, single SCSI disk.

HP2 4.62 Done. hp177 (HP 9000 high-end; courtesy of MPIfR/Bonn).
(redone). Somewhat loaded system, single local disk; DDT result probably not representative for performance.

LINUX 13.07 Done. orangutan: Intel Pentium III 450MHz, 128 Mbytes memory, single EIDE disk, Linux 2.2, egcs/1.1.2 gcc and g77

LINUX (bin) 21.62 Done. For testing binaries via ftp.
vulcan: Intel Pentium III Xeon 550MHz, 768 Mbytes memory, four ultra-2 wide 10,000 RPM SCSI disks.

LINUX/CDROM 11.20 Done. k9: Intel Pentium II 450MHz, 64 Mbytes memory, single EIDE disk (tuned), Linux 2.2, binaries on disk (not running on CDROM).
(Author's home PC!)

SGI 13.07 Done. ohsumi (AOC); SGI Origin 200 (4-headed)
Only used one disk; contention with other users?

SOL 1.99 Done. kochab: Sparc 10 (4-way, 50MHz) server
Also a public ftp and majordomo server.

SUL 8.97 Done. lemur: Sparc Ultra 2/170 (2 processors), 384 Mbytes memory, SunOS 5.6, SunSoft SC4.2 compilers. System was loaded with an IDL session taking 50% CPU time (i.e., 1 CPU).

Architecture	`15OCT99` AIPSMark	Status	Notes
`ALPHA`	13.79	Done.	hominid: Digital/Compaq AlphaStation 600 5/400, 512 Mbytes memory, OSF/1 4.0D, native compilers.
`AXLINUX`	7.92	Done.	mandrill: Alpha Clone (433 MHz), 128 Mbytes memory, Linux 2.0.34, egcs/1.1, single SCSI disk.
`HP2`	4.62	Done.	hp177 (HP 9000 high-end; courtesy of MPIfR/Bonn). (redone). Somewhat loaded system, single local disk; DDT result probably not representative for performance.
`LINUX`	13.07	Done.	orangutan: Intel Pentium III 450MHz, 128 Mbytes memory, single EIDE disk, Linux 2.2, egcs/1.1.2 gcc and g77
`LINUX (bin)`	21.62	Done.	For testing binaries via ftp. vulcan: Intel Pentium III Xeon 550MHz, 768 Mbytes memory, four ultra-2 wide 10,000 RPM SCSI disks.
`LINUX/CDROM`	11.20	Done.	k9: Intel Pentium II 450MHz, 64 Mbytes memory, single EIDE disk (tuned), Linux 2.2, binaries on disk (not running on CDROM). (Author's home PC!)
`SGI`	13.07	Done.	ohsumi (AOC); SGI Origin 200 (4-headed) Only used one disk; contention with other users?
`SOL`	1.99	Done.	kochab: Sparc 10 (4-way, 50MHz) server Also a public ftp and majordomo server.
`SUL`	8.97	Done.	lemur: Sparc Ultra 2/170 (2 processors), 384 Mbytes memory, SunOS 5.6, SunSoft SC4.2 compilers. System was loaded with an IDL session taking 50% CPU time (i.e., 1 CPU).

As with the previous release, the SUN4 and IBM architectures were not tested for this release; binaries for them were not generated and active support within AIPS for these architectures has stopped.

AIPS and GNU G77 under Linux

Since 15APR98, AIPS has used the EGCS version of the GNU compilers with great success, mainly as it gives a considerable performance boost over the older gcc/f2c package. We now require use of the EGCS compilers (or the new merged version 2.95 or later) for compiling AIPS with g77. Version 1.1.2 is used in-house; we have not yet tested the 2.95 version of gcc/g77 at this time, though we do not expect any surprises (and initial results from the field indicate it's fine). AIPS assumes the glibc based C library.

You do not want to compile AIPS with the old f2c/gcc combination, so the f77 script formerly used in the $SYSLINUX area has been removed.

The use of the GNU g77 compiler gives a factor of 2 improvement over the performance of the now obsolete f2c/gcc combination. Several outside users have opted for the combination, given the AIPSMarks of about 6.7 on a pentium pro 200, 9.6 on a Pentium II 300, up to 16.1 on a Pentium II 450 (dual processor, 10,000 RPM SCSI disk), and 21.5 on a Pentium III Xeon 550 MHz (with lots of memory and very fast SCSI disks). See the DDT Benchmark page for more details.

Want a Midnight Job?

If your site has a need for the current version(s) of AIPS with updates via the Internet and the so-called midnight job, Read this information. It has step-by-step instructions. Or contact Pat Murphy or Eric Greisen for further information.

As there are no further releases of AIPS planned beyond 15OCT99, the midnight job (now with easier setup) will be the only way for AIPS users outside of NRAO to avail of whatever enhancements, changes, or new functionality we add to Classic AIPS in the future.

Distribution Statistics

Courtesy of Ernie Allen.

15OCT99 CLASSIC AIPS Distribution to be inserted here soon...

Eric W. Greisen