Installing and Running SurfIt!

No compilation is necessary to run SurfIt! since it is entirely written as Tcl script code. However, you will need the wish executable and, optionally, some extensions.

All of the required software should be available on your nearest Tcl archive site. If all else fails all of the packages may be found in the directory ftp://pastime.anu.edu.au/pub/SurfIt/

Making A Wish

First, you'll need a star... err, umm, sorry about that ;-)

SurfIt! requires Tcl 7.5 alpha2/Tk 4.1 alpha2. The Alpha 1 release is incompatible. Follow the instructions provided by Tcl/Tk to build it for your platform, and install it in the usual place.

Making The Extensions

SurfIt! also uses Extended Tcl (TclX) and the BLT extension. TclX is required for the HTTP protocol handler, so while it is "optional" you won't actually get very far without it. BLT is used for HTML tables.

Extended Tcl

SurfIt! requires TclX 7.5a-a2 (the matching version for Tcl 7.5a2). Build it in the usual manner for your platform, and then make a shared library (the file README.SHLIB gives some helpful instructions). By default, SurfIt! looks for the TclX library in the /usr/local/tclX/lib directory. If you have it installed somewhere else then set the Tcl variable tclXLibPath to specify the full path of the library.

BLT

SurfIt! requires blt-1.8. If your local Tcl archive does not have it then you can also look for it at ftp://ftp.cs.uoregon.edu/pub/jhobbs. You only have to build a shared library, so after configuring use make sharedlib. By default SurfIt! looks for the shared library in the same directory as the Tk library. If you have it installed somewhere else then set the Tcl variable bltLibPath to specify the full path of the library.

Installing SurfIt!

The install script is provided which will install all of the files necessary for running SurfIt! into the directory containing Tcl's library script, and will install the surfit script into the directory which contains the wish binary. You will need to have the necessary privileges to use this script.

If you want to install SurfIt! in some other directory then you simply need to make sure that the directory is added to the auto_path variable.

Installation procedures for Macintosh and Windows platforms have not been finalised at time of writing. Watch this space!

Using Tk 4.0

With minor modifications, SurfIt! will run using a wishx based on Tcl 7.4 / Tk 4.0 / TclX 7.4a / BLT 1.7 / stcl 0.2 (Safe-Tcl from Jacob Levy). See the SurfIt! 0.3alpha release instructions for details.