# Ibis installation

Before you try to configure Ibis, you must set the environment variable JAVA_HOME; see also the system-specific notes at the end of this text.

The Ibis software requires at least a 1.4 version of Java. With a 1.3 or older version of Java, some parts of Ibis will not compile. Suitable versions of Java can be obtained from the web. IBM has versions for Linux and AIX (at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java), SUN has versions for Solaris, Linux, and Windows (at http://java.sun.com), and Apple has a version for Mac OS X (at http://developer.apple.com/java).

The Ibis software requires `ant', a software building tool similar to `make', but written in Java, and well-suited for building Java software. The Ibis distribution requires you to use the `ant' that is supplied with Ibis. This version of ant lives in `3rdparty/apache-ant-1.6.1/bin`. An `ant` script is supplied in the Ibis toplevel directory which calls the required ant. Below, when `ant` is mentioned, this version is intended.

## Configuration

### Configuration without high-speed LAN

If you don't have a high-speed LAN for which you require an Ibis module (like GM (Myrinet), MPI, or Panda) you have to do no configuration.

### Configuration with high-speed LAN

If you do have a high-speed LAN for which you require an Ibis module (like GM (Myrinet), MPI, or Panda), you must configure Ibis by typing

`ant configure`

You will be asked for the path to a number of support libraries. If you don't have one or more of these libraries, just hit "ENTER". The configuration setup figures out which of the support libraries actually exists. The Ibis build does not attempt to build the native code for absent modules.

### Changes to your configuration

If you want to change your configuration or want to set parameters for the build process, the preferred way is to change the generated file build-properties in the root Ibis directory.

Changes are currently:

- paths to support libraries;
- switching on/off of java compiler optimization or debug symbol generation;
- switching on/off of native compiler optimization or debug symbol generation;
- native code compiler selection.

## Build

Build by typing

`ant`

Afterwards, you can run a simple test by going to the `ibis-example` directory and running `ant test`.

A more thorough test, which runs several applications and builds all of them can be run by going to the `apps` directory and running `ant test` there.

## API

The Ibis API documentation can be built by typing

`ant docs`

This will build an `api` directory within the `docs` directory. Point your favorite HTML viewer to `docs/api/index.html` to view the API documentation. Note that the javadoc of the 1.4.1 version of Java may hang. In that case, please use a newer version.

## System-specific notes

### Mac OS X

Set the environment variable `JAVA_HOME` to `/Library/Java/Home`.

For native code generation, you are required to install the Java SDK.

### Windows 2000, Windows XP

Install a recent Java SDK, at least 1.4, and preferably 1.5, because 1.4 seems to have some problems. This will get installed in for instance `c:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0`. You can set the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable to this path by going to the Control Panel, System, the "Advanced" tab, Environment variables, add it there and reboot your system.

### Cygwin

Set the environment variable `JAVA_HOME` to wherever it is installed on your windows system. You can do that as described above, or do it the "Unix" way. If you choose the Unix way, use quoting, so, for instance,

`export JAVA_HOME="/cygdrive/c/Program Files/Java/jdk1.5.0"`

or

`export JAVA_HOME="C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0"`