Installation

Dependencies

The compiler only needs the Python language. The generated Python programs additionally need the NumPy , SciPy and Matplotlib libraries for numerical computations and plotting. (The compiler contains a modified copy of the Pyparsing library, which therefore does not need to be installed.)

Here is a table of the dependencies:

Name What Linux Windows
Python programming language usually already installed special binary distribution for scientists available
NumPy array object, linear algebra binary packages for most distributions comes with scientific Python distribution
SciPy scientific algorithms binary packages for some distributions comes with scientific Python distribution
Matplotlib plotting binary packages for some distributions comes with scientific Python distribution

Installing Dependencies

Python

Freeode needs Python version between 2.5 and 2.7 (not Python 3.x).

Linux

Python should be already installed on your system. If not, install it with your software management program (package manager).

Windows

Most probably you will need to install Python on your computer. For Windows there are binary distributions, which are especially made for scientists:

These distributions contain very many useful features for scientific work. Linux users (me) will envy you. I recommend that you install one of them.

The ActivePython distribution however seems not to contain the necessary libraries.

NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib

The SciPy documentation contains instructions to install NumPy and SciPy. These cover Windows, Mac-OS, and a variety of Linux distributions.

The Matplotlib website also contains some installation instructions.

Linux

Many distributions contain packages Numpy, SciPy, and Matplotlib, which then appear in the package manager. I specifically know of:

Windows

NumPy, SciPy and Matplotlib are included in both recommended Python distributions: Python(x,y) and Enthon.

Installing Freeode

Freeode is distributed in several different formats: Files in *.rpm and *.exe formats can usually be installed by clicking on them (in RPM based Linux and Windows respectively). Software installed from these files can usually be easily removed from the computer, by the operating system's software management program. To use *.tar.gz and *.zip files you need to enter some textual commands to perform the installation. The textual commands are quite powerful. You can create *.rpm and *.exe files from the *.tar.gz and *.zip files.

All files are available from Freeode's download area .

Linux

On RPM based Distributions (Suse, Red Hat, Mandriva, ...) download the latest *.rpm file and click on it. The software management program (the package manager) should pop up and install the software, after asking you for the root password. To remove the package go to the package manager's list of installed software, search for a package named "freeode", and remove it.

If you can't (or d'don't want to) use RPM packages, download the latest *.tar.gz file, open a shell window and type the following commands:

> cd **where you put the downloaded *.tar.gz file**
> tar xvf freeode-0.4.0.tar.gz     #extract package contents
> cd freeode-0.4.0/                #enter extracted directory
> su                               #become root
Password:
> python setup.py install          #run installation script
> rm -rf build                     #remove the intermediate files
> exit                             #give back root privileges 
    

The command to create RPM files, if the supplied *.rpm file does not work on your system is:

> python setup.py bdist_rpm       #create RPM in directory dist/ 
    

Windows

Someone please try out the Windows installer, and let me know if it really works! Does un-installing work? The Windows installer has never been tested, because Freeode's development happens entirely on Linux. Building Windows installers is a built in feature of Python, which is even available on Linux.

On Windows download the *.exe file and click on it. An installer should pop up and install the software. You possibly need to enter the administrator password. Windows has a feature to remove software in the control panel (in Windows Vista it is called "Programs and Features").

For a text based installation do the following steps: