IRAF on Debian Lenny

Here is my installation note for IRAF (ver 2.14.1) on Debian Lenny.

Basically, the installation procedure does not differ much from the one outlined in the official IRAF installation guide.

First, create “iraf” user account to the system if it does not exist already. Also, install the C shell (csh) as it appears to be the preferred shell for IRAF (people apparently don’t know when to move on).

$ sudo apt-get install csh ncompress
$ sudo adduser iraf

After user “iraf” has been added to the system, change its home directory and the default shell by modifying /etc/passwd to read:

iraf:x:1002:1002:IRAF Admin,,,:/iraf/iraf/local:/bin/csh

Note that the number 1002 may be different depending on how many users already have the accounts on the system. Only change the last two entries delimited by colon to /iraf/iraf/local and /bin/csh.

We assume IRAF will be installed under /usr/local/iraf, and a symlink /iraf points to that directory:

# mkdir /usr/local/iraf
# chown iraf /usr/local/iraf
# chgrp iraf /usr/local/iraf
# ln -s /usr/local/iraf /iraf

Login as user “iraf,” and create a bunch of directories:

# su iraf
% cd /usr/local/iraf
% mkdir extern imdirs iraf irafbin x11iraf
% mkdir irafbin/bin.linux
% mkdir irafbin/noao.bin.linux

Install x11iraf. You may use the pre-built binary distribution:

% cd /usr/local/iraf/x11iraf
% wget http://iraf.noao.edu/x11iraf/x11iraf-v2.0BETA-bin.redhat.tar.gz
% gunzip -c x11* | tar xvf -
% su
# ./install
# exit

and select defaults for all the user input upon installation. (Note that if xgterm quits on an error complaining about “ptys,” then you may need to turn on the kernel configurations CONFIG_LEGACY_PTYS and CONFIG_UNIX98_PTYS; yes, you may need to rebuild the kernel…)

Install the source:

% cd /usr/local/iraf/iraf
% wget http://iraf.noao.edu/iraf/ftp/iraf/v214/PCIX/as.pcix.gen.gz
% gunzip -c as.pcix.gen.gz | tar xvf -

Install the binaries:

% cd ../irafbin/bin.linux
% wget http://iraf.noao.edu/iraf/ftp/iraf/v214/PCIX/ib.lnux.x86.gz
% gunzip -c ib.lnux.x86.gz | tar xvf -

% cd ../noao.bin.linux
% wget http://iraf.noao.edu/iraf/ftp/iraf/v214/PCIX/nb.lnux.x86.gz
% gunzip -c nb.lnux.x86.gz | tar xvf -
% exit

Run the install script:

# su iraf
% cd $iraf/unix/hlib
% source irafuser.csh
% su
# ./install

Follow the instruction for the most part, but the following are not necessary: IRAF networking and tapecap device.

# exit
% cd
% source .login
% rehash
% cl

This should start ecl.

For exposing external packages (which must already be installed if not already) within IRAF, the text file extern.pkg can be reused if these packages are already installed. Copy it from a previous installation to /usr/local/iraf/iraf/unix/hlib.

# External (non core-system) packages.  To install a new package, add the
# two statements to define the package root directory and package task,
# then add the package helpdb to the `helpdb' list.

reset	noao		= iraf$noao/
task	noao.pkg	= noao$noao.cl

reset	tables		= /iraf/extern/tables/
task	tables.pkg	= tables$tables.cl

reset	mscred		= /iraf/extern/mscred/
task	mscred.pkg	= mscred$mscred.cl

reset	stsdas		= /iraf/extern/stsdas/
task	stsdas.pkg	= stsdas$stsdas.cl
task	apropos		= stsdas$apropos.cl

reset	rvsao		= /iraf/extern/rvsao/rvsao-2.5.0/
task	rvsao.pkg	= rvsao$rvsao.cl

reset	xdimsum		= /iraf/extern/xdimsum/
task	xdimsum.pkg	= xdimsum$xdimsum.cl

reset	fuzzy		= /iraf/extern/fuzzy/
task	$fuzzy.pkg	= fuzzy$fuzzy.cl

set	crrefer		= "/home/astro_data/stsci_data/"

reset   helpdb          = "lib$helpdb.mip\
                          ,noao$lib/helpdb.mip\
                          ,tables$lib/helpdb.mip\
                          ,stsdas$lib/helpdb.mip\
                          ,mscred$lib/helpdb.mip\
                          ,rvsao$lib/helpdb.mip\
			  ,xdimsum$lib/helpdb.mip\
                          "

keep

You can simply comment out lines with “#” if some packages are not installed.

The packages stsdas and tables should be installed following the official instruction.