VAX Ultrix/IRAF Installation Guide

1. Introduction

Before installing Ultrix/IRAF on a VAX, one must 1) obtain an appropriate Ultrix/IRAF distribution, e.g., from the IRAF network archive on iraf.noao.edu (or by ordering a tape distribution from NOAO), 2) select the server or node on which the system is to be installed and arrange for sufficient disk space to hold the system, and 3) set aside sufficient time to do the installation. If these directions are followed carefully and mistakes are avoided the basic installation should only take a half hour or so. Additional time may be required to customize the system, to configure the local tape drives and other devices, set up IRAF networking, and so on.

This Installation Guide is intended primarily for sites installing IRAF on a VAX running Ultrix 4.3 or later. Other popular UNIX systems for which IRAF is available, e.g. IRIX and SunOS, have their own system specific IRAF installation guides. In particular, there is a separate installation guide and IRAF distribution for the Decstation version of Ultrix/IRAF, as well as for IRAF on VAXes running VMS.