DAMTP Computing News

SUMMARY: IDL 7.1 is now available for testing on Linux (x86, x86_64) and MacOSX (ppc and intel) platforms.

IDL version 7.1 has been installed for the Linux (sl5) and MacOSX (OSX 10.4/10.5) machines, and so far those who have been testing it have reported no significant problems.

The new commands are: idl71 idlde71 idldemo71 idlhelp71 idlman71 and idlrpc71

Commands without the 71 suffix still run the default IDL version 7.0.3. Please try the new version and notify help@damtp.cam.ac.uk if you encounter any problems.

Unless serious problems are discovered and reported IDL 7.1 will become the default version of IDL in a couple of weeks - and older versions may be removed a short time later.

Note that you can check from inside idl which platform is being used and whether it is running in 32-bit or 64-bit mode, e.g.

On an x86_64 MacOSX machine:

     $ idl71
     IDL Version 7.1, Mac OS X (darwin x86_64 m64). (c) 2009, ITT Visual Information Solutions
     ...
     IDL> print,!version
     { x86_64 darwin unix Mac OS X 7.1 Apr 21 2009      64      64}

On an x86_64 Linux machine:

     $ idl71 
     IDL Version 7.1 (linux x86_64 m64). (c) 2009, ITT Visual Information Solutions
     ...     
     IDL> print,!version
     { x86_64 linux unix linux 7.1 Apr 21 2009      64      64}

On a PPC (Power-PC) MacOSX machine:

     $ idl71
     IDL Version 7.1, Mac OS X (darwin ppc m32). (c) 2009, ITT Visual Information Solutions
     ...     
     IDL> print,!version
     { ppc darwin unix Mac OS X 7.1 Apr 21 2009      32      64}

On an x86 (32-bit) MacOSX machine:

     $ idl71
     IDL Version 7.1, Mac OS X (darwin i386 m32). (c) 2009, ITT Visual Information Solutions
     ...     
     IDL> print,!version
     { i386 darwin unix Mac OS X 7.1 Apr 21 2009      32      64}

On an x86 (32-bit) Linux machine:

     $ idl71
     IDL Version 7.1 (linux x86 m32). (c) 2009, ITT Visual Information Solutions
     ...     
     IDL> print,!version
     { x86 linux unix linux 7.1 Apr 21 2009      32      64}

Our IDL licences are partly funded for by us paying the suppliers directly but mostly by a deal provided by STFC to support IDL use by STFC funded researchers.

Our current understanding of the arrangement suggests that we can also obtain a small number of IDL licences to STFC funded researchers for use on their own machines (e.g. laptops for use offsite, home machines etc).

If you are funded by STFC and would be interested in an IDL licence for such a machine please let us know. A similar arrangement is apparently available with some of the other funding bodies but so far we have only spoken to the suppliers about the STFC arrangement (this was PPARC before of course).