Installing GEODAS Software on Xwindows

NOTE: GEODAS uses the Tool Command Language Tcl/Tk 8.x You must have Tcl/Tk 8.0 or better installed on your computer. (It may already be installed.)
To find out how you can put Tcl/Tk on your computer visit these web sites:
dev.scriptics.com/ (Tcl Developer Xchange)
tcltk.com/sourceforge/ (Tcl/Tk at Sourceforge)

  1. Obtain GEODAS Xwindows Install software:
    On the GEODAS SETUP CD/DVD in subdirectory /your-cdrom-path/setup/xwindows/gd_41xx.tgz
    or from the NGDC ftp site: ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/MGG/geodas/software/xwindows/gd_41xx.tgz
    NOTE: Users with only GEODAS version 4.0 CD/DVD sets (no version 4.1 sets) who ftp the version 4.1.xx software must also obtain the newer GEODAS Coatline files: ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/MGG/geodas/coastlines/PcByteOrder/coast41.zip (littleendian)
    - or -
    ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/MGG/geodas/coastlines/SunByteOrder/coast41.zip (bigendian)
  2. Copy or ftp the file to your hard drive.
  3. Unzip and Untar the file. This will create subdirectory geodas_install
    > tar -zxvf gd_41xx.tgz
    (some systems may require 2 steps i.e. >gunzip gd_41xx.tgz and >tar -xvf gd_41xx.tar)
  4. Change to the geodas_install subdirectory.
  5. Edit file geodas-install
    Change the first line of file geodas-install to show the proper path to your Tcl/Tk wish application.
  6. Run the install application. (For specific information on installing GEODAS Software on a Network or to install the entire CD/DVD on your hard drive see Running GEODAS on a Network/Hard Drive).

    > ./geodas-install

    Respond to the program queries. The default entries assume a multiple-user setup installed by the administrator (root). Users will need read/execute permissions to the "GEODAS Executables" and "GEODAS Support" directories.

    If you are a non-administrator installing GEODAS into your own space, just change the directories to an area where you have read/write/executable permissions.

    The GEODAS work directory (default: ~/geodas/work) is for user files created by GEODAS applications. You should use a directory where there is a fair amount of space.

    For some installations you do not have to install various inventory files. These include the GEODAS Coastlines (41.9 MB), Marine Trackline Geophysics Inventory (30.2 MB) and NOS Hydrographic Surveys Inventory (13.2 MB). This will save some disk space, but the software will run slower and you will need to mount the appropriate GEODAS SETUP CD/DVD when running GEODAS Data Search and Retrieval.

    If you do not have one of the operating systems with pre-compiled binaries (Solaris and Linux-x86 at this time) you must build the binaries from source. See file /geodas-support-path/source/readme.txt for details.

  7. Delete the install subdirectory (geodas_install) and file gd_41xx.tgz
  8. Set Browser MIME Type (GEODAS Gridded Databases Only):
    (Netscape Navigator Example)
    Open Netscape Navigator
    Edit -> Preferences
    Category:Navigator -> Applications -> New ->
    Description: GEODAS Grid Data
    MIMEType: application/x-geodasgrid
    Suffixes: g03,g15,g30,g98
    Application (check): /geodas-executable-path/geodas-gridtran
    OK -> OK
  9. To change install options, configure GEODAS
    After installation you may configure or change some aspects of GEODAS by running the GEODAS Configuration Program.

There are 2 additional utility applications installed with GEODAS. Simply type the application name at the command prompt.
geodas-gridlist will list contents of NGDC Binary Formatted Coastal Relief Model Grids.
geodas-hdrecs77 will combine separate MGD77 Header and MGD77 Data files into a single file.

Note that GEODAS install must be run for each GEODAS SETUP CD/DVD which you have. At this time available CD/DVDs include:
Marine Trackline Geophysics
NOS Hydrographic Surveys
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 01
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 02
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 03
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 04
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 05
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 06
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 07
NGDC Coastal Relief Model Vol. 08
Great Lakes Bathymetry Vol. G1 (Lake Erie and Lake St. Claire)
Great Lakes Bathymetry Vol. G2 (Lake Ontario)
ETOPO2 Global Gridded Elevation Data

Note especially that for the Coastal Relief Model and Great Lakes Bathymetry, each volume must be installed seperately.