Downloading Iris

Quickstart | Download and Install Iris | Run Iris | Run Smoke Test | For C-Shell Users

Iris 2.1 Beta

Iris 2.1 Beta: released May 2015
This version of Iris is our beta release. Please see the latest Release Notes for details on the new features, bug fixes, and currently known bugs and limitations.

If you find any bugs or have suggestions, please contact us at the CXC HelpDesk with the tag "Iris."

The Iris software package is available for download through Anaconda. Iris is supported on Linux and Macintosh OS X 10.6 - 10.9 computer platforms running Java version 1.6 or higher.

If you are running Mac OS X 10.5 with Java 1.5, please follow the special installation instructions available here.

Iris system requirements:

Iris will not run on a system which does not have at least Java SE 6 (developer version 1.6), preferably Oracle JRE, though special installation instructions are available for the Mac OS X 10.5 platform running Java 1.5.

To check your current Java version, type 'java -version' into a terminal window:

unix% java -version
java version "1.6.0_26"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_26-b03)
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM (build 20.1-b02, mixed mode)

Free disk space
- OS X: ~215 MB
- Linux 64-bit: ~330 MB
- Linux 32-bit: ~315 MB

The Specview and Sherpa applications which comprise Iris run simultaneously and communicate with each other via a SAMP hub.

Known issues with installing and starting Iris are listed on the Troubleshooting page.

Download Iris QuickStart

These instructions tell you how to download and install Iris quickly. For more details, tips-and-tricks and some troubleshooting, read the full direction starting in Detailed Download Directions.

Download and Installation Instructions:

These directions assume you are running in a BASH shell. If you are running a C-shell (csh, tcsh), then start a BASH shell:

$ /bin/bash  # for C-shell users ONLY

If you do not have Anaconda, download Miniconda (a minimal version of Anaconda) for your platform. Otherwise, skip to step 2.
Install Miniconda. Installing Miniconda in batch mode assumes the user agrees with the end user lcense agreement found here.
```
$ bash Miniconda-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -b -p $HOME/miniconda
$ export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/miniconda/bin
      
```
Add $ export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/miniconda/bin to your $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/.bash_profile so that you can run Anaconda commands from your terminal at any time. Otherwise, you will need to run this line everytime you run Iris. For example:
```
$ emacs ~/.bashrc

export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/miniconda/bin
      
```

Add the CXC and Sherpa conda repositories to your Anaconda configuration:

$ conda config --add channels https://conda.anaconda.org/cxc
$ conda config --add channels https://conda.anaconda.org/sherpa

Install Iris. This will create a environment specific to Iris. Say yes (enter "y") when the download script asks you to install the packages.
```
$ conda create -n iris iris=2.1
    
```
Start Iris. Activate the Iris environment first. Then, you can run Iris as you would for previous versions.
```
$ source activate iris
$ iris
    
```
IMPORTANT: If you have set "iris" as an alias in your $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/.bash_profile to run an older version of Iris, please rename the old alias to something else (for example, "iris201" for Iris v2.0.1).
Run the Iris smoke tests to confirm that Iris was installed successfully:
```
$ iris smoketest
      
```
When you're finished using Iris, you can restore the original environment:
```
$ source deactivate
	
```

For C-shell users: If you wish to run Iris from a C-shell, see the extra steps needed in For C-Shell Users.

Detailed Download Directions

1. Determine if your platform is supported

Iris is supported on Mac OS X 10.6-10.9 64-bit machines and Linux systems.

To see if you Mac is supported, do the following:

Choose "About This Mac" from the Apple menu in the upper-left menu bar. You should see the OS X version listed below the Apple icon.
Click "More Info".
Open the "Hardware" section.
Locate the "Processor Name".

Compare your Processor Name to information below to determine if your Mac has a 64-bit processor.

2. Download and Install Iris.

These directions assume you are running in a BASH shell. If you are running a C-shell (csh, tcsh), then start a BASH shell:

$ /bin/bash  # for C-shell users ONLY

Iris is now distributed through Anaconda, a Python distribution and package manager. If you do not have Anaconda, download Miniconda (a minimal version of Anaconda) for your platform. Otherwise, skip to step 2.
Anaconda lets you install and manage Python packages without root or administrator permissions. It is also useful for experimenting with different Python versions in isolated environments without fiddling with your system Python distribution. Beyond its use for installing Iris, Anaconda can be a helpful tool to have for other projects.
Install Miniconda. Installing Miniconda in batch mode assumes the user agrees with the end user license agreement found here.
```
$ bash Miniconda-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -b -p $HOME/miniconda
$ export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/miniconda/bin
      
```
Add $ export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/miniconda/bin to your $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/.bash_profile so that you can run Anaconda commands from your terminal at any time. Otherwise, you will need to run this line everytime you run Iris. For example, if you've already appended Miniconda to your PATH:
```
$ echo "export PATH=$PATH" >> ~/.bashrc
      
```

Add the CXC and Sherpa conda repositories to your Anaconda configuration:

$ conda config --add channels https://conda.anaconda.org/cxc
$ conda config --add channels https://conda.anaconda.org/sherpa

Install Iris. This will create a environment specific to Iris.

$ conda create -n iris iris=2.1

You will see something like the following output below. Say yes (enter "y") when the download script asks you to install the packages.

Fetching package metadata: ..........
Solving package specifications: ...............
Package plan for installation in environment /home/username/miniconda/envs/iris:

The following packages will be downloaded:

    package                    |            build
    ---------------------------|-----------------
    iris-2.1                   |                3        24.4 MB
    numpy-1.8.2                |           py27_0         7.3 MB
    pyfits-3.3.0               |       np18py27_1         1.9 MB
    python-2.7.9               |                2        13.4 MB
    sampy-1.2.1                |           py27_1          57 KB
    scipy-0.14.0               |       np18py27_0        29.6 MB
    setuptools-15.2            |           py27_0         435 KB
    astlib-0.7.0               |       np18py27_2         1.1 MB
    pip-6.1.1                  |           py27_0         1.4 MB
    sherpa-4.7                 |       np18py27_1         6.2 MB
    sedstacker-0.1.0_iris      |       np18py27_3         4.7 MB
    sherpa-samp-2.1            |       np18py27_3          84 KB
    ------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Total:        90.5 MB

The following NEW packages will be INSTALLED:

    astlib:      0.7.0-np18py27_2     
    iris:        2.1-3                
    numpy:       1.8.2-py27_0         
    openssl:     1.0.1k-1             
    pip:         6.1.1-py27_0         
    pyfits:      3.3.0-np18py27_1     
    python:      2.7.9-2              
    readline:    6.2-2                
    sampy:       1.2.1-py27_1         
    scipy:       0.14.0-np18py27_0    
    sedstacker:  0.1.0_iris-np18py27_3
    setuptools:  15.2-py27_0          
    sherpa:      4.7-np18py27_1       
    sherpa-samp: 2.1-np18py27_3       
    sqlite:      3.8.4.1-1            
    system:      5.8-2                
    tk:          8.5.18-0             
    zlib:        1.2.8-0

The following NEW packages will be INSTALLED:

    astlib:      0.7.0-np18py27_1     
    iris:        2.1-3                
    numpy:       1.8.2-py27_0         
    openssl:     1.0.1k-1             
    pip:         6.1.1-py27_0         
    pyfits:      3.3.0-np18py27_1     
    python:      2.7.9-1              
    readline:    6.2-2                
    sampy:       1.2.1-py27_1         
    scipy:       0.14.0-np18py27_0    
    sedstacker:  0.1.0_iris-np18py27_3
    setuptools:  15.2-py27_0          
    sherpa:      4.7-np18py27_1       
    sherpa-samp: 2.1-np18py27_3       
    sqlite:      3.8.4.1-1            
    tk:          8.5.18-0             
    zlib:        1.2.8-0              

Proceed ([y]/n)? y
Fetching packages ...
iris-2.1-3.tar 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:03   6.62 MB/s
numpy-1.8.2-py 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:02   3.08 MB/s
pyfits-3.3.0-n 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00   6.01 MB/s
python-2.7.9-2 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:35 390.66 kB/s
sampy-1.2.1-py 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00   4.51 MB/s
scipy-0.14.0-n 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:30   1.03 MB/s
setuptools-15. 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00   1.67 MB/s
astlib-0.7.0-n 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:01 695.91 kB/s
pip-6.1.1-py27 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:01 826.33 kB/s
sherpa-4.7-np1 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:06 992.10 kB/s
sedstacker-0.1 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:05 869.50 kB/s
sherpa-samp-2. 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00 833.10 kB/s
Extracting packages ...
[      COMPLETE     ]|#######################################################################################################| 100%
Linking packages ...
[      COMPLETE     ]|#######################################################################################################| 100%
#
# To activate this environment, use:
# $ source activate iris
#
# To deactivate this environment, use:
# $ source deactivate
#

At this point, Iris is fully installed on your system and ready to be used.

3. Run Iris

From the command line, activate the Iris environment. Then, you can run Iris from any directory with the simple command iris.

$ source activate iris
$ iris

IMPORTANT: If you have set "iris" as an alias in your $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/.bash_profile to run an older version of Iris, please rename the old alias to something else (for example, "iris201" for Iris v2.0.1).

The Iris Desktop

When you close Iris, you can restore your original environment by entering the following into the command line:

$ source deactivate

5. Run the Iris smoke test

A 'smoketest' file is included in the Iris software package to help you verify that Iris has been installed correctly and is working properly on your computer platform.

To run the smoke test, start the Iris environment and run iris smoketest:

$ source activate iris  # if not already in the environment
$ iris smoketest

The terminal output will provide a record of the test and indicate a successful termination or failed attempt. For more details on the Iris smoke test, see the Iris Smoke Test page.

When you're finished using Iris, you can restore the original environment:

$ source deactivate

For C-shell users

If you wish to run Iris from a C-shell, add the following lines to your $HOME/.cshrc:

setenv PATH ${PATH}:<path-to>/miniconda/bin   # append the path to miniconda/bin to $PATH
setenv OLDPATH ${PATH}
alias source_activate_iris "setenv PATH <path-to>/miniconda/envs/iris/bin:${PATH}"
alias source_deactivate "setenv PATH $OLDPATH"

where <path-to> is the full path to your Miniconda or Anaconda directory. (Note:If you're using Anaconda, replace "miniconda" with "anaconda")

After sourcing your $HOME/.cshrc, you can start Iris with

% source_activate_iris
% iris

Once you've closed Iris, you can restore the original environment with

% source_deactivate

If you want to, you can change the name of "source_activate_iris" and "source_deactivate" to whatever you'd like, e.g., "activate_iris" and "deactivate", by editing the aliases listed in your $HOME/.cshrc.

If you choose to setup these aliases, whenever you see the following in the Iris documentation:

% /bin/bash    # C-shell users ONLY
$ source activate iris

you can skip the /bin/bash and replace source activate iris with source_activate_iris (or whatever your alias is).