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Building a Release

To release ASTERIX we generate an exportable copy of the source code using the export_source top level target. We supply this file plus the mk script to Starlink who build it on each system. They check that the install and deinstall targets work ok, then they build the binary export version using export. It is this machine specific file which is released, along with a news item and update to SUN/98.

To test a release go through the same process, building ASTERIX on a scratch area. It is essential that you do the following before you start,

Make sure that the current directory specifier "." is not in your PATH variable before building the package. For security reasons most people work like this, and its is important that the ASTERIX make files do not make the assumption that this directory is in the path.
On Solaris ensure that LD_LIBRARY_PATH is set correctly. It should be
```
  /star/lib:/usr/openwin/lib:/usr/ucblib:/opt/X11R5/lib:/star/share
```
It absolutely must not contain anything to with XANADU or FTOOLS when you build ASTERIX, or dire consequences will ensue.
Make sure that no ASTERIX environment variables are active. You can force this using,
```
  unsetenv AST*
```
If you don't do this then the build system might look for the source code in the SCCS libraries, which of course won't exist.
Set the value of the TMPDIR environment variable to a scratch disk area, preferably not auto-mounted on the machine your doing the build on.

Once you've done this set up, invoke the top level build target, logging both standard output and errors. Here's the whole thing to this point, starting from building the release.

   # Create test directory and tell mk that this is where the exported
   # source will go

   % mkdir /scratch/asterix/test_build
   % setenv EXPORT /scratch/asterix/test_build

   # Build the release and copy the 'mk' script

   % cd /star/asterix
   % mk export_source
   % cp mk /scratch/asterix/test_build/

   # Unpack the source archive

   % cd /scratch/asterix/test_build/
   % zcat asterix.tar | tar xvf -

   # Build the system

   % ./mk build >&build.log &

Now inspect the log file. Look for the word 'error' using an editor. The only occurance of this word should be in the names of routines, eg. serror. Once this has worked try the install and deinstall phases.

   # Set installation directory

   % setenv INSTALL /scratch/asterix/test_install

   % ./mk install >&install.log &

Again look for errors in the log file. Once installed you should be able to redefine the aststart command to run the installed version. You must try this before you release the system, as this is the mode in which everyone else in the world uses the system. Once you've tested it, check the deinstall target in the same way -- this restores the system to the built state.

Next: Open Issues Up: No Title Previous: Bootstrapping

Asterix
Tue Oct 7 12:01:41 BST 1997