[lsst-dm-stack-users] Binary Distributions of DM Stack Available

[Mario Juric]

Dear LSST DM Stack users,
	I've just made available for download binary distributions of the DM stack.

Previously, the only way to install the stack was to build it from
source. Though this was highly automated, it was still problem-prone due
to idiosyncrasies of local setups. For example, in some cases
macports/fink/homebrew were known to cause problems when building on the
Mac. Distributing pre-built binaries sidesteps a significant fraction of
these issues.

To install a binary distribution, run:

    curl -O http://lsst-web.ncsa.illinois.edu/~lsstsw/lsst-distrib
    sudo bash lsst-distrib install

This will detect your platform, check that you have all the necessary
prerequisites, and download the binaries of the latest, "v6_1", DM stack
release. The "sudo" bit is necessary because the binaries will be
installed to /opt/lsst/$PLATFORM. There is an experimental mode to
install to a different directory (by setting the LSST_HOME environment
variable), but be cautioned that it has not been well tested.

	We currently support three 64bit platforms: RHEL6 (and derivatives like
CentOS or Scientific Linux), OS X 10.7 (Lion), and OS X 10.8 (Mountain
Lion). More will be added in the future (starting with RHEL5).

PS: The binary distribution tools are a (very) new piece of software.
Let us know if you encounter problems, but and also let us know if it
works for you!.

PPS: Under the hood, the lsst-distrib script is just a relatively simple
wrapper around rsync. If this seems like a hack, it is. Long term, we'll
switch to a better way to distribute binaries (binary EUPS, native
package managers, etc.).

Cheers,
-- 
Mario Juric,
Data Mgmt. Project Scientist, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
Web   :  http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~mjuric/
Phone :  +1 617 744 9003       PGP: ~mjuric/crypto/public.key