Setting up one SeaDAS installation for multiple users

If multiple users of one workstation wish to use SeaDAS, it is not necessary to install multiple copies of the software for each user account. Instead, SeaDAS can be installed under one normal user account and shared by other users. These instructions apply only to SeaDAS 4.9 and later. For earlier versions see the FAQ for alternate instructions.

Do not install or run SeaDAS as root. Doing so is a security hazard and may also lead to functionality problems.

After SeaDAS has been installed, other users can set up their accounts to share SeaDAS as follows:

Determine the user account and full directory path where SeaDAS has been installed.

SeaDAS will have been installed under a bash shell-type or a (t)csh shell-type. Determine the shell-type under which SeaDAS was installed. (To determine a user's shell use the command "finger username".)
   -If your login shell is the same shell-type that was used for the SeaDAS install, simply add the
    line "source PATH_TO_SEADAS/config/seadas.env" to your main shell init file (e.g. ~/.bashrc,
    ~/.cshrc, ~/.tcshrc). At next login, your environment should now be configured to run SeaDAS.
   -If your login shell-type is bash and the installed SeaDAS shell-type is (t)csh, add the
    line "source PATH_TO_SEADAS/config/seadas.env" to the file ~/.cshrc. To start SeaDAS, one
    of the following commands can now be used:
        csh -i -c seadas              (for full IDL license)
        csh -i -c "seadas -em"    (for runtime SeaDAS)
    These commands can be set up as functions in your ~/.bashrc file:
        function seadas {
        csh -i -c "seadas $*"
        }
        function seadasrt {
        csh -i -c "seadas -em $*"
        }
   -If your login shell-type is (t)csh and the SeaDAS shell-type is bash, add the line
    "source PATH_TO_SEADAS/config/seadas.env" to the file ~/.bashrc. To start SeaDAS, one
    of the following commands can now be used:
        bash -i -c seadas            (for full IDL license)
        bash -i -c "seadas -em" (for runtime SeaDAS)
    These commands can be set up as aliases in your ~/.cshrc file:
        alias seadas 'bash -i -c "seadas \!*"'
        alias seadasrt 'bash -i -c "seadas -em \!*"'

In order to set certain SeaDAS defaults of your own, and to enable automatic ftp retrievals of MODIS attitude and ephemeris for geolocation processing, you may also choose to perform the following optional set up:
    mkdir ~/.seadas
    cp PATH_TO_SEADAS/config/seadas.env_user_bash ~/.seadas (if the SeaDAS shell-type is bash)
    cp PATH_TO_SEADAS/config/seadas.env_user_csh ~/.seadas    (if the SeaDAS shell-type is csh)
Now to set your own defaults, edit your ~/.seadas/seadas.env_user_bash or ~/.seadas/seadas.env_user_csh file with a UNIX text editor. Changes will automatically take effect the next time you source seadas.env or login. Note that the SeaDAS GUI "Make Default" buttons only work for the user who initially installed SeaDAS. To set your own defaults you must edit the seadas.env_user_bash or seadas.env_user_csh file.

NOTE: The logic used by SeaDAS for MODIS attitude and ephemeris retrievals is as follows:

1) If the user has specified their own MODIS_ATTEPH directory in ~/.seadas/seadas.env_user_bash or ~/.seadas/seadas.env_user_csh, SeaDAS first checks under this local directory for the required files.

2) If not found, SeaDAS next checks under the main SeaDAS installation directory $SEADAS/var/modis/atteph/ for the files.

3) If not found, SeaDAS attempts to download the files to the $MODIS_ATTEPH directory. If the user has not specified their own custom MODIS_ATTEPH directory an attempt will be made to download the files into $SEADAS/var/modis/atteph/. Unless the user has write permissions under this directory, the processing will stop due to the failed ftp attempt.

Curator: OceanColor Webmaster

Authorized by: gene carl feldman

Updated: 26 August 2009