                   CDF Version 2.5, UNIX/POSIX Systems

Common Data Format (CDF) is a conceptual data abstraction for storing
multi-dimensional data sets.  The basic component of CDF is a software
programming interface that is a device independent view of the CDF data
model.  The application developer is insulated from the actual physical
file format for reasons of conceptual simplicity, device independence,
and future expandability.  Version 2 of CDF has been rewritten to be
portable across a wide variety of platforms.  CDF files created on any
given platform can be transported to any other platform on to which CDF
is ported and used with any CDF tools or layered applications.  A more
detailed introduction to CDF can be found in the CDF User's Guide.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!   You must have a C compiler in order to build the CDF distribution.    !!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The CDF library and toolkit programs are written in C.  A C compiler is
necessary to build the CDF distribution.  The CDF distribution also contains
several Fortran source files which support the Fortran interface.  If a
Fortran compiler is not available, the distribution can be built without
Fortran support.

Documentation for CDF consists of the CDF User's Guide, the CDF C Reference
Manual, and the CDF Fortran Reference Manual.  The `RELEASE.doc' file explains
how to get/print the documents.

Requests for assistance or documentation should be sent to:

  DECnet   -- NSSDCA::CDFSUPPORT (15578::CDFSUPPORT)
  Internet -- cdfsupport@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.36.23)

If you get the distribution, please send CDFSUPPORT a message so we can put
you on our mailing list.  That way you will be notified of new releases.  The
`CHANGES.doc' file explains the new features of CDF V2.5.

UNIX/POSIX Installation Instructions
------------------------------------

CDF V2.5 is distributed for UNIX and POSIX systems as a `tar' file compressed
using the `compress' utility (`cdf25-dist.tar.Z'), compressed using Gnu `gzip'
(`cdf25-dist.tar.gz'), and uncompressed (`cdf25-dist.tar').  The term POSIX
is used when referring to a VAX or DEC Alpha running the POSIX shell.

To uncompress `cdf25-dist.tar.Z', use the `uncompress' command as follows...

     uncompress cdf25-dist.tar.Z

To uncompress `cdf25-dist.tar.gz', use the `gzip' command as follows...

     gzip -d cdf25-dist.tar.gz

In either case the resulting file will be named `cdf25-dist.tar'.

Then use the `tar' command to extract the CDF source files.  `tar' will create
a directory named `cdf25-dist' containing several subdirectories.  The source
files for the distribution will be placed into these directories.

The syntax for the `tar' command is different on some flavors of UNIX.  For
most UNIX systems (and the POSIX shell) use...

     tar -xvof cdf25-dist.tar

For the IBM-RS6000/AIX use...

     tar -x -v -f cdf25-dist.tar


CDF V2.5 has a makefile setup to automatically build the CDF library and
tools.  The following steps should be taken to build and install CDF V2.5.

        1. Set your current directory (cd) to the top level CDF directory
           (the directory named `cdf25-dist' created by `tar').

        2. If desired, modify the include file named `config.h' in the
           `src/include' directory to the desired default parameters for
           your distribution.  These default parameters affect a number
           of actions taken by the CDF library and toolkit programs in
           various situations (the comments in `config.h' describe these
           default parameters).

        3. Compile/link the distribution.  First enter...

              make all.help

           to determine the required/optional `make' variables to be used.
           Some informational/warning messages from the compilers may be
           displayed.  These can be ignored and should have no effect on
           the operation of the CDF library or toolkit programs.

        4. Test that the distribution was built correctly by entering...

              make test

           The name of each test executed will be displayed.  No other
           messages will be displayed unless an error occurs.  Entering...

              make test.help

           will display additional information about the testing of the
           CDF distribution.

        5. Install the definitions files, library, include files, and toolkit
           programs.  First enter...

              make install.help

           to determine the required/optional `make' variables to be used.
           The appropriate files will be copied to the `include', `lib', and
           `bin' directories (from the `src/...' directories).

        6. Delete the library(s), object files, and executables in the
           `src/...' directories by entering...

              make clean

           This will free approximately 8.4 megabytes of disk space.  You may
           also delete the entire `src/...' directory tree if you have no need
           for the source code.  This will free approximately 3.9 megabytes of
           additional disk space.

        7. A set of script files named `definitions.<shell-type>' should now
           exist in the `bin' directory (from the `install' step above).
           `<shell-type>' specifies the type of shell (command interpreter)
           for which the script file was written: `C' (C-shell style), `K'
           (Korn shell style),  or `B' (Bourne shell style).  They are script
           files that a user would execute to set up the environment variables
           and aliases (where supported) necessary to use CDF.  You should edit
           these script files for where you installed the CDF distribution.
           A user would then execute the appropriate script file to define
           aliases for the toolkit programs and environment variables for
           the locations of the include files, CDF library, etc.

           For the Korn, BASH, and POSIX shells, the following command
           would be used...

                  . <path>/bin/definitions.K

           For the Bourne shell, the following command would be used...

                  . <path>/bin/definitions.B

           For the C and `tcsh' shells, the following command would be
           used...

                  source <path>/bin/definitions.C

           In each case <path> is the full directory path leading to the
           `bin' directory (from the `install' step above).  Note that
           `<path>/bin' could also be added to a user's path.

           Because aliases are not available when using the Bourne shell,
           the toolkit programs must be invoked by specifying the actual
           name of the executable file.  The actual names are in some cases
           different from those shown in the CDF User's Guide.  The script
           file `definitions.B' lists the differences.

           7a. Previous to this release the definitions files were named
               definitions.<shell> where <shell> is the name of the shell
               (`csh', `sh', etc.).  Rather than adding a new definitions
               file each time a new shell is discovered, the above method
               using shell `types' was implemented.

        8. If you have Fortran applications which include `CDF.INC' instead
           of `cdf.inc', you may want to add a soft logical link in the
           `include' directory which will point `CDF.INC' to `cdf.inc'.  To
           do so set your current directory to the `include' directory and
           use the command `ln -s cdf.inc CDF.INC'.  (Note that this logical
           link existed automatically in previous CDF distributions after
           the `make install' step was performed.)
