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FAQ
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This is the Frequently Asked Questions list for the IRAF (Image Reduction
and Analysis Facility) project. Within this file, you will find an index
of questions organized by topic followed by the answers. This list has
been compiled by members of the NOAO IRAF group and is believed to be
accurate as of 05/02/00. For further information about anything
listed here or additional IRAF questions not mentioned in this FAQ, please
contact IRAF Site Support at iraf@noao.edu, iraf::noao, or 520-318-8160.
An HTML version of this document with links to all the mentioned archives,
newsgroups, and documents is available as
http://iraf.noao.edu/faq/FAQ.html
05/02/00
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Section 1. GENERAL
1.1 What is IRAF?
1.2 Should I get it - is it appropriate for my needs?
1.3 What general image processing tools are included with the core system?
1.4 What software does IRAF have for spectral data?
1.5 What software does IRAF have for direct imaging data?
1.6 Are the IRAF reduction packages limited to use with NOAO instruments?
1.7 How do I get IRAF; how much does it cost?
1.8 Is IRAF public domain software?
1.9 What are the system requirements if I want to install IRAF?
1.10 What is the current version of IRAF?
1.11 When is the next version of IRAF going to be released?
1.12 What is the status of XGterm and XImtool?
1.13 On which platforms does IRAF run?
1.14 Does IRAF run on a PC under DOS? under Unix?
1.15 If I upgrade my OS will IRAF continue to run?
1.16 How difficult is it to port IRAF to my own system?
1.17 What window systems does IRAF run under?
1.18 Is IRAF easy to install?
1.19 How widely used is IRAF?
1.20 How do I acknowledge IRAF in a publication?
Section 2. SUPPORT SERVICES
2.1 What types of services can I expect as an IRAF user?
2.2 What sort of on-line help is available in IRAF?
2.3 Where can I send general questions about IRAF?
2.4 Can I talk to a real person with installation or user questions?
2.5 Is there an IRAF network archive; how do I access it; what's in it?
2.6 Is there an IRAF network mail facility yet? How do I access it?
2.7 Can I get IRAF newsgroup information through a listserver?
2.8 What is the IRAFINFO facility?
Section 3. DOCUMENTATION
3.1 How can I learn to use IRAF?
3.2 Is there a beginner's guide for IRAF?
3.3 Is there IRAF help online?
3.4 What general documentation is available? Where can I find it?
3.5 What documentation do you recommend that I have for the latest release?
3.6 What manuals are available for helping me do photometry?
3.7 What manuals are available for helping me do spectroscopy?
3.8 What documents are available for general image processing?
3.9 What programming documentation is available?
3.10 How can I learn more about the WCS in IRAF?
3.11 What installation manuals are available and where are they?
3.12 Are there revisions notices for the last release?
3.13 Is there a buglog for IRAF? How can I get a copy?
3.14 Is there a manual for SAOimage?
3.15 How can I subscribe to the IRAF Newsletter?
3.16 What is the last issue of the IRAF Newsletter?
3.17 Can I get back issues of the IRAF Newsletter?
3.18 Is there an index for the Newsletter?
Section 4. LAYERED PACKAGES
4.1 What are layered or external packages?
4.2 What layered packages are available? How do I get them?
4.3 How can I get the CTIO package?
4.4 What is the STSDAS package? How can I get it?
4.5 I need the TABLES package. How can I get it?
4.6 What is PROS/XRAY package? How can I get it?
4.7 What is the EUV package? How can I get it?
4.8 Where do I send problem reports for the layered packages?
4.9 How can I contribute my own software to IRAF so others can use it?
Section 5. DATA FORMATS
5.1 What data formats are supported?
5.2 How can I convert my data to the IRAF image format?
5.3 How do I convert my ascii text file of wavelength and flux into an
IRAF image?
5.4 Does IRAF support world coordinate systems in images?
5.5 What is the IRAF disk image format?
5.6 How do I convert my GIF/JPEG images to IRAF?
5.7 What are the "..image.imh" files associated with each of my images? Can
I delete them to free up disk space?
Section 6. WINDOW SYSTEMS
6.1 When I try to make an IRAF plot on my screen all I get is garbage in
my window. How can I get an IRAF plot?
6.2 How is stty "xtermjh" different from a standard "xterm" window?
6.3 Why can't I get vector graphics from AIX/IRAF in an AIXterm window?
6.4 Are we limited to having a single SAOimage process running per CPU?
6.5 Can I run multiple SAOimage processes simultaneously from my account?
6.6 What do I do about "Warning libxxx.s.o older than expected"?
Section 7. IMAGE DISPLAY
7.1 How can I generate or display an RGB image?
7.2 What is the proper value of "stdimage" for use with SAOimage or XImtool?
7.3 How can I change the size of the frame buffer from the CL?
7.4 What do I change to add a custom frame buffer size?
7.5 How do I get a hardcopy of an image displayed with XImtool or SAOimage?
7.6 What can I use for image display on a monochrome monitor?
Section 8. GRAPHICS
8.1 What hardcopy output devices are supported with the distributed system?
8.2 What additional SGI translators are available; how do I get them?
8.3 What VMS/IRAF files do I edit to get my output device interfaced?
8.4 What UNIX/IRAF files do I edit to get my output device interfaced?
8.5 Can I generate color PostScript of an IRAF plot or displayed image?
8.6 Does IRAF support Encapsulated PostScript?
Section 9. SYSTEM INSTALLATIONS
9.1 I don't have enough diskspace for the entire system - what can I do?
9.2 What does the IRAF install script really do - what files are modified?
9.3 I'm not able to write in /usr - can I still install IRAF?
9.4 Can I have more than one version of IRAF installed at a time?
9.5 Can we make our local software look like an IRAF package?
9.6 What does "ERROR: Cannot open device (node!imtool,,512,512)" mean?
9.7 Where's my image? I display an image to SAOimage but get no image dis-
played and no error, only the cl prompt.
9.8 Why am I told "task `cl' has no param file" when I try to start the CL?
9.9 What does "ERROR: Cannot open connected subprocess (pkg$x_pkg.e) mean?
9.10 What do I do about "Warning libxxx.so older than expected" or "ld.so:
libXXX.so: can't open file" messages?
9.11 Why does VMS/IRAF report "cannot open tmp$uidxxx" when accessing a tape?
9.12 Why does my script tell me "dictionary full"?
9.13 What does "Warning: Out of space in image header" mean?
9.14 Why does PHOT warn "Graphics overlay not available for display device."?
9.15 Why does my task report "ERROR: parameter `foo' not found"?
9.16 What does "ERROR: MWCS: dimension mismatch (mw_translate)" mean?
9.17 My pixel files were moved to another disk and now the i_pixfile pathname
in the image headers is wrong. How can IRAF find the pixels?
9.18 How do I turn off the system id banner in output hardcopy plots?
9.19 Why does IRAF kick me out when I type ^Z to exit EPARAM?
Section 10. NETWORK INSTALLATIONS
10.1 What's different about installing Unix IRAF on a network instead of a
standalone machine?
10.2 If IRAF is NFS mounted to all the client nodes, why do I need to run the
install script on each node?
10.3 How do I access a remote tape drive from IRAF?
10.4 Where can I find information on the structure and fields for the tapecap
file?
10.5 Can I use a VMS tape drive from a UNIX IRAF installation?
10.6 How do I suppress the password prompt when accessing pixels?
10.7 How do I disable IRAF networking for disk image access, but keep it to
access the tape drives?
Section 11. HARDWARE
11.1 On which platforms does IRAF run?
11.2 What's the best machine to buy if I plan to run IRAF?
11.3 What are the recommended hardware requirements of a workstation?
11.4 What type of mag tape devices are supported and not supported?
11.5 Should I buy a 24-bit frame buffer for my Sun?
11.6 Can I use my Windows 9x PC to display IRAF images?
11.7 Do you have benchmarks for IRAF on various machines?
Section 12. PROGRAMMING
12.1 What programming languages can I use for IRAF software development?
12.2 Can I install IRAF or layered software without having IRAF permissions?
12.3 Can I call IMFORT procedures from C?
12.4 Where are the IRAF libraries used by FC or XC for IMFORT tasks?
12.5 Can I build IRAF software without using FC or XC?
12.6 What Fortran compilers are supported?
12.7 Can I call IRAF tasks from Unix C-shell scripts?
12.8 I was wondering if you could provide a bit more info on how to use the new
ability of the IRAF cl (#!cl) to act as a shell for Unix scripts.
12.9 Will IRAF work with the Korn shell or tcsh?
Section 13. APPLICATIONS
13.1 What is the meaning of the coefficients returned with the CURFIT task?
13.2 What does "ERROR: MWCS: dimension mismatch (mw_translate)" mean?
13.3 My pixel files were moved to another disk and now the i_pixfile pathname
in the image headers is wrong. How can IRAF find the pixels?
13.4 How do I turn off the system id banner in output hardcopy plots?
13.5 How can I find out what tasks are in IRAF?
13.6 Is the surface photometry package available yet?
13.7 I have a spectrum in a one dimensional image for which I had no
trouble running IDENTIFY, REIDENTIFY, and REFSPECTRA but when I run
DISPCOR I get the error "ERROR: MWCS: attribute not found (spec1)"
13.8 Is there an ASTROMETRY package I can use?
13.9 Whom should I contact if I have problems with the xray package?
Section 14. XGterm/XImtool ISSUES
14.1 How do I change colors (cursor, background, text, etc) in my XGterm
window?
14.2 How do I change the crosshair cursor color so it appears on my mono-
chrome monitor?
14.3 How do I start XImtool with private fifo pipes?
14.4 How should I set up my users to run Ximtool on an X-terminal?
14.5 Can I control more than one XImtool at the same time?
14.6 How can I change the background color in my ximtool window - the default
color is black - I want white?
14.7 Can I set the size and placement of the xgterm graphics window at
startup time?
14.8 Can I set the size and placement of the ximtool window at startup time?
14.9 How can I tell what the default resources are for xgterm and ximtool?
Is there a file somewhere with these values in them?
14.10 Can FOCAS make use of the socket connections in XImtool for image
display?
14.11 When I try to start up XImtool I get an error about a BadMatch.
14.12 About how much disk space is needed to install 2.11 for Sun machines.
14.13 After upgrading to V2.11 external package tasks no longer recognize my
images.
Section 15. PC-IRAF
15.1 Is there a version of IRAF that will run on my PC?
15.2 What Operating Systems are supported?
15.3 What is the minimal hardware configuration?
15.4 What is the recommended hardware configuration?
15.5 How much disk space does IRAF require?
15.6 Where can I get PC/IRAF?
15.7 Where can I get precompiled binaries for external packages.
15.8 Is there a CD-ROM distribution or runtime system? How much does it cost?
15.9 Will IRAF run on my laptop?
15.10 How hard is it to install Linux?
15.11 Where can I get Linux?
15.12 How can I be sure my version of Linux is compatible?
15.13 Where can I get help installing Linux?
15.14 What if my hardware isn't currently supported?
Section 1. GENERAL
1.1 What is IRAF?
IRAF is the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility, a general purpose
software system for the reduction and analysis of scientific data. IRAF is
written and supported by the IRAF programming group at the National Optical
Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) in Tucson, Arizona. IRAF includes a good
selection of programs for general image processing and graphics applications,
plus a large number of programs for the reduction and analysis of optical
astronomy data within the NOAO package. External or layered packages are
also available for the analysis of HST, XRAY and EUV data. IRAF provides
a complete programming environment, which includes the Command Language
script facility, the IMFORT Fortran programming interface, and the fully
featured SPP/VOS programming environment in which the portable IRAF system
is written.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1.2 Should I get it - is it appropriate for my needs?
There are basically three reasons to get IRAF:
The first one is that you have astronomical data that needs to be
processed and you are looking for a mature, Unix-, PC-, or VMS-based, image
processing system to do the work.
The second reason is that you would like to develop some astronomical
software and are looking for a popular astronomical software package - one
with a broad selection of tools - to build on to lessen your work. IRAF
provides the software developer with a rich programming environment that
includes file management tools, interactive graphics and display, portability,
and much MUCH more.
The third reason to acquire IRAF is to process data that is similar
to astronomical data, and the basic interactive graphics, display tools,
and image operators provided by IRAF would be useful for your application.
If you have questions about the suitability of IRAF to your application
contact site support at iraf@noao.edu.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1.3 What general image processing tools are included with the core system?
The IRAF core system is the basic IRAF system and does not include the
suite of reduction packages known as the NOAO package. (But note that
the NOAO package is included in all IRAF distributions.) The IRAF core
system provides tools for reading and writing data in the transportable
FITS format (although other i/o tools are available), interactive graphics
and image display tools for examining your data, tools for image registration
and cleaning bad pixels, a variety of smoothing operators, and tools for
image arithmetic, image statistics and combining image frames.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1.4 What software does IRAF have for spectral data?
IRAF has a rich selection of tools for spectral reduction and analysis in
the NOAO package that spans 1-d, 2-d, echelle, and fibor spectroscopy. These
tools include basic CCD reductions and flat fielding, distortion corrections
for 2-d data, extraction of 2-d and echelle frames, wavelength and flux
calibration, radial velocity analysis, and a multitude of tasks for
manipulating spectra in general. The tasks provide the user with the
option of batch or interactive processing.
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1.5 What software does IRAF have for direct imaging data?
Besides the image operators provided by the basic core system (see earlier
FAQ) the NOAO package in IRAF provides tools for basic CCD reductions,
mosaicing, aperture and PSF-fitting (DAOPHOT) photometry, and photometric
calibration. A package for surface photometry is planned and will be added
at a later date.
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1.6 Are the IRAF reduction packages limited to use with NOAO instruments?
The many reduction packages within the IRAF system are not limited to
use with NOAO instruments. The tasks within IRAF have been developed to
be as generic as possible to encompass a wide range of uses.
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1.7 How do I get IRAF; how much does it cost?
IRAF is available free of charge over the network. Use anonymous FTP to
connect to node iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1) and "get README". Each level
of the archive has a README file to assist you with your selections or with
your transfers. It is possible to use DECnet for some transfers - contact
us (iraf@noao.edu) for details.
If acquiring IRAF over the network is not an option for you (but we do prefer
you retrieve it that way) then an orderform is available.
A small recovery fee is charged for mailed
distributions along with any shipping and handling fees. Typical orders in the
US run about $58 (US), and foreign shipments run between $100-$250 (when
documentation is included).
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1.8 Is IRAF public domain software?
Although IRAF is available free of charge over the network to anyone who
may find it useful it is not considered public domain software since it is
copyrighted. Here is part of the copyright notice that appears in the
distributed system.
-----------------
Copyright(c) 1986 Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc.
The IRAF software is publicly available, but is NOT in the public domain.
The difference is that copyrights granting rights for unrestricted use and
redistribution have been placed on all of the software to identify its authors.
You are allowed and encouraged to take this software and use it as you wish,
subject to the restrictions outlined below.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
documentation is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this
permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that references to
the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. (AURA),
the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), or the Image Reduction
and Analysis Facility (IRAF) not be used in advertising or publicity
pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior
permission from NOAO. NOAO makes no representations about the suitability
of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or
implied warranty.
NOAO DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL NOAO
BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION
OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN
CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
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1.9 What are the system requirements if I want to install IRAF?
For a typical, single-user, workstation environment you will need a
minimum of 64Mb of memory and ~128Mb of swap space. You will need about
128 of diskspace for the IRAF system (this varies a bit with the platform),
although it can be stripped to about half that after the installation. If
you are configuring a server your memory and swap space needs will be more
(maybe much more!). For details about a particular platform or configuration
check with site support at iraf@noao.edu.
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1.10 What is the current version of IRAF?
The current version of IRAF varies a bit with the platform.
PLATFORM CURRENT RELEASE RELEASE DATE
-------- --------------- ------------
AIX4 V2.11.3 15 December 1999
DUNX V2.11.3 15 December 1999
HPUX V2.11.3 15 December 1999
IRIX V2.11.3 15 December 1999
PCIX V2.11.3 7 December 1999
SSOL V2.11.3 7 December 1999
VMS7 V2.11.3 15 December 1999
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1.11 When is the next version of IRAF going to be released?
It is always difficult for us to predict exact release dates,
so the best thing to do is check the archive (iraf.noao.edu) occasionally
for new distributions or check with us occassionally (iraf@noao.edu) for
an update if this is critical for your scheduling. Users can subscribe
to the announcements newsgroup on our web page and be notified by mail.
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1.12 What is the status of XGterm and XImtool?
The X11IRAF project is being developed independently of the normal IRAF
system development. They are X based tools for support of vector graphics
and image display, the long awaited replacements for Xterm and SAOimage.
Versions of XGterm, XImtool and XTapemon are available in the /iraf/x11iraf
directory on iraf.noao.edu. A new version was recently made available that
contains many enhancements, especially to ximtool (e.g. hardcopy capability,
image load/save, on-line help, etc). All tasks are now fully documented
and easily buildable from source on all supported iraf platforms. A bug-fix
release was made available in Aug 97, most users should upgrade to this
version. Another version to support the prototype science GUIs (XAPPHOT,
SPECTOOL, and XRV) is planned for the near future that will also include
many bug fixes and necessary system enhancements (contact site support for
updates)
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1.13 On which platforms does IRAF run?
IRAF runs on the following platforms:
Platform Descrition
AIX4 IBM/RS6000 AIX 4.x
DUNX Digital Unix 4.0 (OSF, Compaq Tru64)
HPUX HP-UX 10.20
IRIX SGI IRIX 6.x
PCIX FreeBSD 3.3
PCIX Slackware Linux 4.0
PCIX RedHat Linux 5.x
PCIX RedHat Linux 6.x
PCIX SuSE Linux 6.x
PCIX Solaris 7 for Intel
SSOL SunOS 4.x
SSOL Solaris 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8
VMS7 VAX/VMS 7.1
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1.14 Does IRAF run on a PC under DOS? under Unix?
The V2.11 IRAF system for PCs running Linux/FreeBSD is now
available from the iraf.noao.edu archives or on the V2.11 CD-ROM by filling
out the IRAF orderform. No port is planned
for DOS/Windows 95/98 since it is an insufficient operating system to support
IRAF.
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1.15 If I upgrade my OS will IRAF continue to run?
Minor upgrades to the OS do not normally affect the operation of IRAF, but
major changes to the OS may. If in doubt, check with the IRAF group
(iraf@noao.edu) before upgrading.
It should be stressed however, that after ANY operating system upgrade
which affects the system /dev or /usr directories, it is necessary to rerun
the IRAF install script to recreate image display fifo pipes in /dev and
symbolic links for /usr/include/iraf.h. The install script in this case
must be run on all IRAF client machines in order to re-establish to
critical system links needed by all IRAF machines.
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1.16 How difficult is it to port IRAF to my own system?
The average individual will probably have great difficulty in porting IRAF
to their own system - IRAF is a big and complex system and one should not
underestimate the amount of work involved in a port. We have had very few
successful ports done by people who were not highly skilled systems people
with some large degree of knowledge about IRAF internals.
Unfortunately, the IRAF group does not have the resources to assist
with private ports, so anyone attempting this challenge is more or less on
their own. For more information about IRAF ports see the README file in
iraf/v210/PORT in the IRAF network archive on the node iraf.noao.edu
(140.252.1.1).
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1.17 What window systems does IRAF run under?
The only supported window system is X, any X window manager should be
sufficient. If you use X Windows then you will want to use XGterm for your
graphics terminal and XImtool as your image display server, these can be
downloaded as part of the X11IRAF package from /iraf/x11iraf in our archives.
Note that IRAF itself is not dependent on a window system, many non-graphics
tasks can be run from the raw console and older terminal such as VT640 may
also be used and would lack only an image display.
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1.18 Is IRAF easy to install?
The IRAF installation is straightforward but not trivial. Source code,
object libraries, and executable are included in all distributions.
Installation guides and site managers guides are available for each
distribution in the same directory. If the instructions are followed your
installation should go smoothly. (One step of the installation does require
root privileges.) Any problems encountered can usually be handled by the IRAF
site support people in a timely fashion (iraf@noao.edu).
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1.19 How widely used is IRAF?
Since IRAF is available freely over the network we are only able to
estimate the number of sites or users. Our records suggest there are
approximately 5000 users at about 1500 sites throughout the world. Our
newsletter mailing list has roughly 1500 recipients. These numbers indicate
that IRAF is a major software package in the US and abroad.
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1.20 How do I acknowledge IRAF in a publication?
There are two papers appropriate as references for IRAF in a
publication. They are:
Tody, D. 1986, "The IRAF Data Reduction and Analysis System" in Proc. SPIE
Instrumentation in Astronomy VI, ed. D.L. Crawford, 627, 733
Tody, D. 1993, "IRAF in the Nineties" in Astronomical Data Analysis Software
and Systems II, A.S.P. Conference Ser., Vol 52, eds. R.J. Hanisch,
R.J.V. Brissenden, & J. Barnes, 173.
The more recent paper includes more references. Both are available from
the anonftp archive on iraf.noao.edu in iraf/docs (see README). No special
acknowledgement is required as a matter of policy so we don't blatantly
state these anywhere, but a mention is always appreciated. A footnote
describing IRAF may also be used when appropriate:
"IRAF is distributed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatories,
which are operated by the Association of Universities for Research
in Astronomy, Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National
Science Foundation."
Section 2. SUPPORT SERVICES
2.1 What types of services can I expect as an IRAF user?
IRAF support services includes a HOTLINE phone number
(520/318-8160) that can be called to speak to an actual person, as well as
an email address (iraf@noao.edu) where general questions can be sent. The
HOTLINE is tended by an answering machine when nobody is available
immediately and all messages sent to iraf are logged to guarantee a reply
(usually the same day).
Information about IRAF can be found in our anonymous ftp network
archive iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1) or our home page http://iraf.noao.edu.
We've also set up an alternate newsgroup hierarchy called 'adass' (after
the ADASS conference series) to handle not only the IRAF related groups but
any astronomical data analysis software system. More information on these
services is found below.
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2.2 What sort of on-line help is available in IRAF?
Help for all tasks is available simply by typing "help <taskname>".
Typing the 'help' command by itself in a package will list a one-line
description of all tasks within the package. Users can search for help on
a particular topic using the REFERENCES task. Additional help topics are
available with certain packages, these are listed with the package help
file. Lastly, the IRAF system contains some documentation in the iraf$doc
directory, these are unformatted TROFF files or IRAF help pages mostly
these found here include system manager's guides, installation manuals, etc).
Additional documentation in the form of cookbooks and user's guides
are available from the IRAF network archive iraf.noao.edu in the iraf/docs
subdirectory. The 'README' file there serves as a table of contents for
what is available, all files are compressed PostScript and can be transferred
via anonymous ftp.
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2.3 Where can I send general questions about IRAF?
The general e-mail address for the IRAF Project is iraf@noao.edu.
Mail sent to this account is logged to guarantee a reply (usually within
24-hours). It is read by several people and the most appropriate person will
reply.
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2.4 Can I talk to a real person with installation or user questions?
The IRAF Hotline number is 520/318-8160. An answering machine will
pick up if nobody is in the office at the time you call, leave a short message
describing the problem and a number where you can be reached.
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2.5 Is there an IRAF network archive; how do I access it; what's in it?
The iraf network archive address is iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1), log
in via anonymous ftp (i.e. as user 'anonymous', give your email address as
the password). The archive contains the IRAF distribution for every supported
architecture (in the iraf subdirectory), as well as external layered packages
(in the iraf/extern subdir), user-contributed software (in contrib), IRAF doc-
umentation (iraf/docs), ADASS conference information (iraf/conf), and much
more.
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2.6 Is there an IRAF network mail facility yet? How do I access it?
The new network service that just went into operation is a USENET and
email based network news facility. This consists of a collection of newsgroups
organized as a USENET alternate news hierarchy called 'adass', after the
software conference of the same name (astronomical data analysis software
and systems). Although our main interest in developing this was to have a
place to put some IRAF newsgroups, we named the new news hierarchy 'adass'
in case there is any interest in expanding this in the future to include
other non-IRAF astronomy software newsgroups.
The advantage of an alternate news hierarchy is that it is easier to
target the desired community, in our case the astronomical community. The
disadvantage of starting a new news hierarchy is that initially there is no
distribution system in place. To carry the newsgroups locally a site must
get a feed from some other site. To read or post news, an individual need
only have some NNTP-based newsreader software and access to an NNTP (network
news) server somewhere on the net which carries the desired newsgroups and
which permits the user to read and post news. As part of the mail network
project we will be providing an NNTP server on the main IRAF server
iraf.noao.edu which will allow anyone to read and post to the adass newsgroups
(but only to those newsgroups).
The current list of newsgroups are the following (this may change):
adass.general important announcements
adass.misc miscellaneous discussion
adass.admin adass newsgroup administration
adass.test test postings
adass.conference adass software conference
adass.iraf.readme the mail network README file
adass.iraf.announce new iraf software or facilities
adass.iraf.applications applications discussion group
adass.iraf.programming programming discussion group
adass.iraf.system system issues, system administration
adass.iraf.misc miscellaneous discussion
adass.iraf.buglog project buglogs (computer generated)
adass.iraf.sources small programs or documents
The adass.iraf newsgroups are intended to be shared by the IRAF user
community and all the groups and individuals developing software for IRAF
(i.e., not just the NOAO IRAF group). To subscribe to newsgroups and get
a feed directly interested users should contact the iraf group.
Since the adass groups are available to an NNTP-based newsreader they
can be accessed by anyone using a command such as
% xrn -nntpServer iraf.noao.edu
We now have mail drops for all the ADASS newsgroups. The mail address for
each group is the newsgroup name with the dots replaced with dashes, e.g.
"adass.iraf.applications" becomes "adass-iraf-applications@iraf.noao.edu".
That is a lot to type so there are also aliases for the more important
newsgroups:
Alias Newsgroup
adass adass-conference
announce adass-iraf-announce
sources adass-iraf-sources
apps adass-iraf-applications
misc adass-iraf-misc
prog adass-iraf-programming
sys adass-iraf-system
In this way users can 'post' and read to the various groups until a feed is
set up directly to their site.
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2.7 Can I get IRAF newsgroup information through a listserver?
Yes, you can get newsgroup information via a listserver. The list server
address is "listproc@iraf.noao.edu". To get information about the list
server send it the following request:
% mail listproc@iraf.noao.edu
help
(You can omit the 'Subject:' line). This will cause a list of all the commands
recognized by the list server to be returned via e-mail.
To subscribe to a newsgroup send the following request to the listserver:
subscribe <newsgroup> <your name and affiliation> e.g.
% mail listproc@iraf.noao.edu
subscribe adass-iraf-announce "Joe Smith, Boston University"
subscribe adass-iraf-buglog "Joe Smith, Boston University"
Note that the "dashed" form of the newsgroup/list name is used for the
listserver, rather than the "dotted" form. Multiple requests can be
included on successive lines, for example to subscribe to multiple
newsgroups. To unsubscribe from a newsgroup send the "unsubscribe
<newsgroup>" request.
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2.8 What is the IRAFINFO facility?
General information about the IRAF software is available via e-mail through
the IRAFINFO facility. To get started send the following message to the
IRAFINFO server:
% mail irafinfo@iraf.noao.edu
get iraf info
For a list of all the files available via the IRAFINFO facility send the
request "index iraf" to irafinfo.
Section 3. DOCUMENTATION
3.1 How can I learn to use IRAF?
The best way to learn to use IRAF is to actually sit down and use it, making
use of available cookbooks, the Beginner's Guide, or exercises.
1) If you have some photometric or spectroscopic data that need to be reduced
then sit down with one of the cookbooks available for these procedures, select
a small subset of data, and actually start to do some reductions. Become
familiar with the online help to assist you with understanding the tasks.
2) There is "A Beginner's Guide to Using IRAF (IRAF Version 2.10)" that has
many examples in it that you can also use to get started. This manual is
available in the pub directory in our IRAF network archive as the file
beguide.ps.Z (compressed PostScript).
3) There are also some IRAF exercises available. These are exercises that
use real data to do basic CCD reductions, photometric reductions through
standard calibration, spectroscopic reductions through extraction and
wavelength calibration, and data i/o manipulations. These exercises are
bundled together in a tar file and are available in the IRAF network archive
in the /iraf/misc directory as exer2102.tar.Z - see the exer2102.readme for
installation instructions (a version is also available for V2.10.3 systems).
The IRAF network archive can be reached by anonymous FTP to the node
iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1). Binary files (including compressed PostScript
and tar files with a '.Z' extension) need to be transferred as "binary".
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3.2 Is there a beginner's guide for IRAF?
There is a "draft" beginner's guide for IRAF that is available in the pub
directory in the anonymous FTP archive on iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1) - it is
called beguide.ps.Z. This file is distributed as compressed PostScript so be
sure to set binary mode before the transfer.
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3.3 Is there IRAF help online?
All tasks in IRAF have "help" pages describing the parameters used by
the tasks and how the tasks work. These can be accessed by "help <taskname>"
or "phelp <taskname>" - the phelp task allows you to space back in the help
file as well as forward (help only goes forward).
If you would like to print a help file to your default IRAF printer (defined
by the IRAF environment variable "printer") then use the following:
cl> show printer
cl> set printer = <your_printer>
cl> help <taskname> | lprint
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3.4 What general documentation is available? Where can I find it?
There is a lot of IRAF documentation available in the form of technical
specifications for an interface or package, cookbooks for specific
procedures, programming documents, or overviews of packages or procedures.
Most of these documents are available by anonymous FTP to the node iraf.noao.edu
(140.252.1.1) - look at the README file in the /iraf/docs directory for a list
of the documents available to you in this directory.
Some documents are also available in the iraf$doc directory as part of your
IRAF distribution.
If you cannot find documentation on a certain topic that you feel should be
documented, please send mail to iraf@noao.edu - there are a few documents,
like the beginner's guide in pub (beguide.ps.Z), that may be available in
another directory or simply not online yet.
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3.5 What documentation do you recommend that I have for the latest release?
Here is a brief list of IRAF documentation that may be useful for V2.11.
All documentation is available in the IRAF network archive in the /iraf/docs
directory accessible by anonymous FTP to the node iraf.noao.edu, unless
otherwise noted.
Introductory Materials:
A Beginner's Guide to Using IRAF (IRAF Version 2.10), Jeannette Barnes,
August 1993, (beguide.ps.Z in the pub directory)
A User's Introduction to the IRAF Command Language Version 2.3, Peter MB
Shames and Doug Tody, August 1986, (cluser.ps.Z)
Preliminary Test Procedure for IRAF, IRAF Version 2.11, Jeannette Barnes,
revised Sept 1997, (testproc.ps.Z)
Cookbooks and Guides:
A User's Guide to CCD Reductions with IRAF, Philip Massey, Feb 1997,
(ccduser3.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to Reducing Slit Spectra with IRAF, Phil Massey, Frank
Valdes, Jeannette Barnes, April 1992, (spect.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to Reducing Echelle Spectra With IRAF, Daryl Willmarth
and Jeannette Barnes, May 1994, (ech.ps.Z)
Guide to the Coude Three Fiber Reduction Task DO3FIBER, Francisco Valdes,
April 1992, (do3fiber.ps.Z)
Guide to the ARGUS Reduction Task DOARGUS, Francisco Valdes, April 1992,
(doargus2.ps.Z)
Guide to the Multifiber Reduction Task DOFIBERS, Francisco Valdes,
April 1992, (dofibers2.ps.Z)
Guide to the HYDRA Reduction Task DOHYDRA, Francisco Valdes, April 1992,
(dohydra.ps.Z)
Guide to the Slit Spectra Reduction Task DOSLIT, Francisco Valdes,
February 1993, (doslit.ps.Z)
Guide to the Slit Spectra Reduction Task DOECSLIT, Francisco Valdes,
February 1993, (doecslit.ps.Z)
Guide to the Fiber Optic Echelle Reduction Task DOFOE, Francisco Valdes,
April 1992, (dofoe.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to Stellar CCD Photometry with IRAF, Philip Massey and
Lindsey Davis, April 1992, (daophot2.ps.Z)
Specifications for the Aperture Photometry Package, Lindsey Davis, revised
October 1987, (apspec.ps.Z)
A Reference Guide to the IRAF/DAOPHOT Package, Lindsey E. Davis, January
1994, (daorefman.ps.Z)
Photometry Using IRAF, Lisa A. Wells, February 1994, (photom.ps.Z)
Rectifying and Registering Images Using IRAF, Lisa A. Wells, April 1994,
(reg.ps.Z)
Cleaning Images of Bad Pixels and Cosmic Rays Using IRAF, Lisa A. Wells
and David J. Bell, September 1994, (clean.ps.Z)
Programming Guides:
A User's Guide to Fortran Programming in IRAF The IMFORT Interface,
Doug Tody, September 1986, (imfort.ps.Z)
Specifying Pixel Directories with IMFORT, Doug Tody, June 1989,
(imfortmem.ps.Z)
An Introductory User's Guide to IRAF Scripts, revised by Rob Seaman,
September 1989, (script.ps.Z)
An Introductory User's Guide to IRAF SPP Programming, Rob Seaman,
October 1992, (sppguide.ps.Z)
Other Useful Documents:
IRAF Newsletter, April 1998 (newslet_14.pdf, newslet_14.ps.gz)
Table of Contents for IRAF Newsletters, (TOC_news.txt)
Table of Contents for IRAF User Handbook Volume 1A, (TOC210_vol1a.txt)
Table of Contents for IRAF User Handbook Volume 2B, (TOC210_vol2b.txt)
The IRAF Packages, IRAF Version 2.10, (glos210a.ps.Z)
The NOAO Packages, IRAF Version 2.10, (glos210b.ps.Z)
IRAF Version 2.10 Revisions Summary, July 1992, (v210revs.ps.Z)
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3.6 What manuals are available for helping me do photometry?
IRAF users doing photometry might find the following documents useful. They
are all available in our anonymous FTP archive on iraf.noao.edu (140.252.1.1)
in the /iraf/docs directory.
Photometry Using IRAF, Lisa A. Wells, February 1994, (photom.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to CCD Reductions with IRAF, Philip Massey, Feb 1997,
(ccduser3.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to Stellar CCD Photometry with IRAF, Philip Massey and
Lindsey Davis, April 1992, (daophot2.ps.Z)
Specifications for the Aperture Photometry Package, Lindsey Davis, revised
October 1987, (apspec.ps.Z)
A User's Guide to the IRAF Apphot Package, Lindsey Davis, revised May 1989,
(apuser.ps.Z)
A Reference Guide to the IRAF/DAOPHOT Package, Lindsey E. Davis, January
1994, (daorefman.ps.Z)
See the online help for photcal.pcintro and photcal.config describing the
PHOTCAT package.
A Beginner's Guide to Using IRAF (IRAF Version 2.10), Jeannette Barnes,
August 1993, (beguide.ps.Z in the pub directory)
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3.7 What manuals are available for helping me do spectroscopy?
IRAF users wishing to do spectroscopic reductions will find a variety
of documents available for the different types of reductions possible.
They are all available in our anonymous FTP archive on iraf.noao.edu in
the /iraf/docs directory.