Downloading Iris

Download Iris | Install Iris | Run Iris | Run Smoke Test

The Iris software package comes in the form of a single tarfile which may be downloaded from this page, and installed in a single step, shown below. It is available for download on the Linux and Macintosh OS X 10.5 and 10.6 computer platforms. Iris is not supported on Mac OS X Lion.

Iris system requirements:

Java SE 6 (developer version 1.6), preferably Oracle JRE

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

tarball ~64MB
unpacked ~154Mb

The Specview and Sherpa applications which comprise Iris run simultaneously and communicate with each other via a SAMP hub. The SED Importer component runs as a separate GUI in the current release; see step 5 below to learn how to run the SED Importer separately from the main Iris application.


Iris	SED Importer

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

1. Determine if you need the 32- or 64-bit version of the software.

To find out if your Intel-based Mac or Linux computer is running a 32-bit or 64-bit processor, type "uname -p" in a terminal window:

% uname -p
 x86_64

"x86_64" indicates a 64-bit kernel, and "i386" a 32-bit kernel.

On a Mac, you can also find this information by doing the following:

Choose "About This Mac" from the Apple menu in the upper-left menu bar, then click "More Info".
Open the "Hardware" section.
Locate the "Processor Name".

Compare your Processor Name to information below to determine whether your Mac has a 32-bit or 64-bit processor.

When in doubt, it is recommended to install the 32-bit version of the tarfile for your computer platform.

2. Download the Iris 1.0 tarfile for your platform.

Linux (64 bit)
Linux (32 bit)
Mac OS X Intel (64 bit)
Mac OS X Intel (32 bit)

The tarfile is named: iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>.tar.gz

where <arch> = "i386" or "x86_64" and <plat> = "unix" or "macosx".

The tarfile includes Specview, Sherpa, a Sherpa SAMP client, and the SED Importer tool.

3. Install Iris

To install Iris, simply move the tarfile to a directory where you would like to store the software (e.g., in the Applications folder on a Mac), and unpack the tarfile with the following command (Linux and Mac):

% tar -zxf iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>.tar.gz

% ls iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>/

COPYING   Iris  LICENSE-2.0.txt  LICENSE.STScI  SAMPSherpa.log  smoketest
examples  lib   LICENSE.SAO      README.txt     SedImporter

At this point, the installation of Iris is complete and the software is ready to be run. Continue on to steps 3 and 4 to learn how to start Iris and the SED Importer tool.

4. Run Iris

To open Iris from any directory, simply type the full path to the Iris startup script on the command line, as shown below:

% <basedir>/iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>/Iris &

(Note that you can simply type "Iris" on the command line if you have added the Iris installation directory to your global PATH variable.)

Alternatively, you can start the application by opening a folder manager window on Linux or the Finder on Mac, navigating to the Iris 1.0 directory, and double-clicking on the "Iris" executable.

5. Run SED Importer

To open the SED Importer from any directory, type the full path to the SED Importer startup script on the command line, as shown below:

% <basedir>/iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>/SedImporter &

(Note that you can simply type "SedImporter" on the command line if you have added the Iris installation directory to your global PATH variable.)

Alternatively, you can start the application by opening a folder manager window on Linux or the Finder on Mac, navigating to the Iris 1.0 directory, and double-clicking on the "SedImporter" executable.

To run the SED Importer in batch mode from the command line, provide the following arguments, in this order:

config_file - The file which contains the importing configuration(s)
output_file - The output file that will contain the new SED.
format - The format in which the new SED file must be written. Choose between 'vot' and 'fits'. If omitted, the default will be 'vot'.

For example:

% <basedir>/iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>/SedImporter config_file.ini outputfile.vot vot

6. Run the Iris smoke test

The 'smoketest' file included in the Iris software package is available to help you verify that the Iris and SED Importer applications have been installed correctly and are working properly on your computer platform.

To begin the smoke test, double click on the smoke test icon in the folder where you unpacked the Iris tarfile, or type its name in a terminal window (Linux or Mac):

% <basedir>/iris-1.0-<plat>-<arch>/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.