C.1. GRASS 4.2 Quick Start

$GIS/src - 
This directory contains scripts and files used to compile  GRASS.
By  running  scripts  and changing lists of programs you generate
GRASS binaries for your system.

You may mount a disk containing GRASS source on different types
of machines and compile without making source code copies.  You
follow the following instructions for each machine.

WARNING: These instructions presume that you have familiarity with
UNIX, C, make, and shell scripting.  Murphy's law visits GRASS 
regularly and your expertise in these matters will be the best 
defense against Mr. Murphy.

WARNING: These instructions and scripts have been used to compile 
GRASS on various machines.  Please mail results of using this 
information for compiling GRASS on your platforms and operating 
system to:

[email protected]

DIRECTORY CONTENTS


    GISGEN      script which will compile GRASS

    MAKELINKS   script used after GISGEN to establish the user executable
                commands
 
    VERSION     current version number and date of the GRASS release

    generic/    system independent files need by gmake
                  gmake     shell script which does compilations
                  make.def  make variables
                  make.tail some additional make rules

    head/       gmake header file(s) for this site.  Header files are
                  created by running the utils/setup command.

    lists/      lists of programs to be compiled
                  GRASS     standard GRASS programs
                  local     site specific GRASS programs
                  ...       architecture dependent GRASS programs

    next_step/  files used by GISGEN to keep track of how far along
                it is in the compilation. Used to restart
                GISGEN (after a failure) where it left off.

    utils/      contains the 'setup' script and all support scripts
                and files needed by 'setup'


COMPILATION STEPS OVERVIEW

 (1) Generate files that contain location and machine specific make
    information.

 (2) Edit files containing lists of location and machine specific
     programs to be compiled (generally printer, digitizer, and graphics
     drivers).

 (3) Run GRASS compilation script

 (4) Run GRASS program linking script

 (5) Edit device driver configuratin files

 (6) Compile GRASS contributed, alpha programs.

 (7) Compile GRASS related and hybrid programs.

COMPILATION STEPS (DETAILS)

(1) Generate make support files

Each machine and location needs to have GRASS compiled in ways that specify
different:

     compilation and load flags
     system libraries
     installation directories
     idefault data bases and locations
 
The shell script utils/setup assists you in define many of the make
options and definitions that will become part of every compile-time
generated makefile (about 350).  It also creates your shell script for
compiling individual GRASS programs - gmake4.2.

Run "utils/setup" and answer the questions.

The makefile portions are placed in the head/ under a name which you
specify/approve in the utils/setup process.  The executable shell script
which directs compilation is placed in (by default) /usr/local/bin.

Examine the just created file in head/ to make sure things are ok.
A brief description for each defined variable follows:

  ARCH            = Key name identifying the architecture of the machine
                    on which you are compiling GRASS.
  GISBASE         = Directory into which compiled GRASS will be contained
  UNIX_BIN        = Local directory where the GRASS entry program and gmake
                    will be contained
  
  DEFAULT_DATABASE= Directory where local GRASS data bases are contained
  DEFAULT_LOCATION= GRASS data base that users get as the first default
  
  COMPILE_FLAGS   = Compilation flags
  LDFLAGS         = Load flags
  
  TERMLIB         = System library containing low-level cursor movement
  CURSES          = System library that supports screen cursor control
  MATHLIB         = System math library
  LIBRULE         = Method for archiving and randomizing libraries
  
  USE_TERMIO      = Flag to use the termio library if available
  USE_MTIO        = Flag to use the mtio library if available
  CAN_CLEAR       = Flag indicating that the terminal screen can be cleared
  DIGITFLAGS      = Flags to set owner and priority of the v.digit program

(2) Edit files containing lists of location and machine specified programs

The directory lists/ contains files that list directories that will
be compiled.  Directory names are relative to the GRASS src
directory.  The file lists/GRASS lists all basic GRASS programs that
get compiled at every site.  The file lists/local and lists/$ARCH.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    $ARCH is the architecture name you approved while running the
    utils/setup script.  You can determine this by running:
        gmake4.2 -sh | grep ARCH
    -----------------------------------------------------------------

There man not be a lists/$ARCH file, but you are free to create it to
add names of programs you want compiled specifically for this
architecture.  It is an architecture-specific list which allows NFS
linked source code to compile one set of programs for one machine,
and another set for another machine.  All machines that share the
same source code via NFS mounts will compile the directories listed
in lists/local.

All lists may contain comment lines - indicated by a # as the first
character in the line.  The lists/local file contains lists of all
digitizer, graphics, and paint (hard-copy map) drivers.  All machine
specific devices are commented out - you must uncomment those that
are particular to your site or architecture.  You are encouraged to
move the graphics driver items to the appropriate lists/$ARCH file.

(3) Run GRASS compilation program

The script GISGEN drives the compilation process.  If all goes well
you will be able to simply enter the command GISGEN and wait.  The
entire compilation process takes from about 1/2 hour on the faster 
workstations to about 8 hours on the slower workstations.

GISGEN collects all of the directory names to be compiled from lists/GRASS
lists/$ARCH and lists/local and begins running gmake4.2 in each directory.
Screen output is a collection of messages from GISGEN and from the UNIX
make program.  Failure at any step will halt compilation.  On failure
you might do one of the following things:

  1 - Fix a compilation problem by modifying code in the directory that
      failed.  After modification, return to this directory and rerun
      GISGEN.  Compilation will pick up at the failed directory and continue
      down the list of directories if successful.

  2 - Restart GISGEN.  If the failure requires modifications to code already
      compiled, or the compilation options you set in step 1, you must 
      remove next_step/$ARCH (or next_step/next_step if ar architecture name 
      was not specified in step 2.  You may then rerun GISGEN.

  3 - Skip the failed directory.  In this case you must seek through the 
      files list/GRASS lists/$ARCH and lists/local to determine the directory
      name that follows the failed directory name.  The failed name is in
      next_step/$ARCH and must be replaced in that file with the next name.
      After editing, rerun GISGEN

When complete GISGEN will put the word DONE into the next_step file and will
print the phrase "DONE generating GIS binary code" to the screen.

(4) Run GRASS program linking script

The GISGEN directs a compilation process that stashes the GRASS programs 
away in directories unavailable to the user community.  Most user commands
are actually links to a single program called "front.end".  Links to this
program must be made for every actual GRASS program.  This is done AFTER
GISGEN is finished.  To make (or re-make) links for all user programs
run the script MAKELINKS.

(5) Edit device driver configuratin files

Your compiled system may any combination of several graphics, paint, and
digitizer drivers.  Refer to the GRASS installation instructions for
details.

NOTE:  If you have trouble compiling your graphics driver, go to the directory
$GIS/src/display/devices and compile the proper drivers manually using gmake4.2.

(6) Compile GRASS contributed, alpha programs.

GRASS programs come in three flavors:

  MAIN - The programs are those compiled in step 3.  They have stood the 
         test of time and are generally reliable programs.

  ALPHA - Alpha programs are intended to be included with the MAIN programs
         in the next release.

  CONTRIB - Sites generate lots of special purpose programs in GRASS to get
         some job done, but do not polish the effort sufficiently to 
         even be considered alpha code can be distributed in this category.

ALPHA programs are found in the directory src.alpha.  You, the installer
may visit these programs and compile any that you desire.  In directories
that contain Gmakefile files, simply run: gmake4.2

CONTRIB programs are in the directory src.contrib.  The state of these
programs are varied.  Some programs may compile with gmake4.2; others 
are suitable as a starting point for programmers who will be writing
new software.

(7) Compile GRASS related and hybrid programs.

The GRASS user community has discovered that there are several public-domain
programs that are very useful in conjunction with GRASS.  These are found
in the directory src.related.  Compile these programs based on instructions
(or lack of instructions) in the individual directories.

Hybrid programs are those that mix the capabilities of GRASS with the 
capabilities of one or more of the "related" programs.  These are found
in the src.garden directory.  They require successful compilation of
the "related" programs and generally compile using the gmake4.2 and
the included Gmakefile files.

The rest of the compilation should just take some time.  If you have 
already installed GRASS binaries, you should back up your system (or 
at least get the working binaries out of the way of your 
compilation!).

Good Luck!  And be secure in the likelihood that you can use the 
compiled binaries if you bail out of a full compilation of the source 
code.