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CHAPTER 2 : Installation Notes


Acquiring Visaj

Visaj is supplied on CD-ROM or can be downloaded from IST's web site, for which you will need special instructions.

Note that there is actually only one Visaj build, which will run on any platform. However we have provided easy installers and launchers for specific platforms. The jar distribution is the generic release and should be used for platforms for which we have provided no specific installer/launcher.

A description of what is on the CD-ROM and what is contained in a distribution archive is in Chapter 1 of the Installation and Release notes and in the file README_FIRST on the CD-ROM


Running Visaj from the CD-ROM

Visaj can be run directly from the CD-ROM if you are using UNIX, but because of the poor performance of CD-ROM devices we do not recommend that this mechanism be employed for operational use.

Mount the CD-ROM and go to the directory visaj2.4/bin on the CD-ROM. Ensure that you have java in your path and then execute the shell script visaj in that directory:

./visaj


Installing from CD-ROM

Windows 95/98/NT

Inserting the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive should start the installation process. If it does, then follow the on screen instructions in order to complete the installation.

If the installation process does not start automatically then you will have to run the Installshield executable (windows/Visaj2_4.exe) from within windows and then follow the on screen instructions in order to complete the installation.

UNIX

Visaj is provided in a number of compressed archive formats for UNIX and other platforms. Installation is simply a matter of unfolding these archives into the location where you require Visaj to be installed.

  1. Mount the CD-ROM using a suitable mount point (e.g. /cdrom)
You will probably have to be root to do this. Note that on Solaris, with the Volume Manager running, the CD-ROM will be automatically mounted at /cdrom/cdrom0 when you insert the CD-ROM into the drive (in which case substitute /cdrom/cdrom0 for /cdrom in the remainder of these notes).

  1. Change directory to wherever you wish to place the Visaj distribution.
  2. uncompress -c /cdrom/unix/Visaj2_4.tar.Z | tar xvf -
or

  1. gunzip -c /cdrom/unix/Visaj2_4.tar.gz | tar xvf -

Macintosh

Read the file MAC-README.TXT, which is in the mac folder on the CD-ROM and in the download area on IST's web site. This file contains important information which is NOT anywhere else in the documentation - please read it before attempting to install this software.

Also in the mac folder is a BinHex'd Self-extracting archive. Double-clicking on this will install Visaj in a folder 'Visaj 2.4'.

Other platforms

Specifically for platforms for which we have provided no specific installer/launcher.

  1. Mount the CD-ROM using a suitable mount point (e.g. /cdrom)
  1. Change directory to wherever you wish to place the Visaj distribution.
  2. jar xvf /cdrom/generic/Visaj2_4.jar

Installing from IST's Web site

In order to acquire Visaj from IST's web site you need to have registered and received a Customer Reference number. You will also have been given a URL which you must enter as one string. There you will find a list of different archives that can be downloaded. These are the same as on the CD-ROM and should be installed in a similar manner.


Running the installed Visaj

Windows 95/98/NT

Once Visaj has been installed a window appears containing shortcuts to Visaj, the User's Guide, the Navajo Authentication Server, authentication information and an icon for uninstalling Visaj. Clicking on the Visaj icon will start the application. Alternatively Visaj is accessible from the Start->Programs menu.

If Visaj fails to start from the main windows interface, start a command prompt and change to the directory where installation took place, by default this is "\program files\ist\visaj". Change directory to the "bin" directory and attempt to run visaj with the -r or -R flag i.e.

visaj -r
Problems may be encountered because by default your personal settings on your machine will override any of the options that you configured inside the installation script. This means that if you have a different Java version in your path than that selected inside the installation, it will be overridden. If you do not want your local environment to override then set your VISAJOPTS environment variable to have the -r or -R flag indicating that you wish to use the values Visaj has stored. If Visaj picks up any early versions of Java that have been left in your path it may lead to problems.

UNIX

Before you run Visaj, make sure that The Java 2 Platform (formerly known as JDK 1.2) or a JDK has been installed (see System Requirements in the Release notes for the recommended version) and the java program is in your PATH.

Visaj is launched by the shell-script visaj, which is located in <root_dir>/bin, where <root_dir> is the directory into which you installed Visaj. To run Visaj, ensure the bin directory is on your path, and at the command prompt, type:

visaj

Macintosh

Clicking on the Visaj icon will start the application.

Others

If you have installed Visaj on a system other than UNIX or Windows 95/98/NT you will need to start Visaj using the Java virtual machine to directly invoke the main Visaj class file.

To do this, you should put the Visaj JAR file, <root_dir>/visaj.jar, the plugins directory, <root_dir>/lib/plugins, and the Image Editor JAR file, <root_dir>/ImageEditor.jar, on your classpath and then run the following
command:

java -Dvj.rootDir=<root_dir> com.pacist.visaj.AWTClassApp
where <root_dir> is the path to the directory containing the Visaj release.

The commands to do this can also be incorporated into a batch or command script appropriate to your operating system.


Authenticating Visaj

Visaj uses the Navajo Authentication Service.

There are two ways of authenticating Visaj:

The details about the Authentication process are in the next section and can also be found in the text file AUTHENTICATION or in the on-line HTML documentation accessible from doc/index.html.

There are special considerations regarding Authentication on the Macintosh. These are documented in the file MAC-README.TXT, which is in the mac folder on the CD-ROM and in the download area on IST's web site.


Configuring Visaj to use Swing

Environment

Stand-alone Swing

If you are using the stand-alone version of Swing (that is, you use JDK1.1)
then the swingall.jar file should be used:

On Windows

set CLASSPATH=c:\swing\swingall.jar;%CLASSPATH%
On Unix, one of:

setenv CLASSPATH /opt/swing/swingall.jar:$CLASSPATH
CLASSPATH=/opt/swing/swingall.jar:$CLASSPATH export CLASSPATH
On Macintosh:

Place the `swingall.jar' file in the MRJClasses folder, in the MRJ Libraries folder in the Extensions folder (inside the System Folder)
You will need to request swing when you start Visaj - see the "Starting Visaj with Swing" section below. Alternatively switch palettes to Swing - see the "Using Swing in Visaj" section below.

JDK1.2beta4 and later

If you are using JDK1.2beta4 or later Visaj will automatically detect this, and use the built-in Swing classes, if you request swing - see the "Starting Visaj with Swing" section below.


Note - JDK 1.2 has now been renamed The Java 2 Platform

Using Swing in Visaj

You can switch the palette in Visaj to one containing the Swing Components by selecting the "Change -> Swing" item in the "Palette" menu. To startup Visaj with the Swing palette as default see the "Starting Visaj with Swing" section below.

Starting Visaj with Swing

Swing can be used in Visaj by running it with the -swing command line

On Windows

Edit the properties of the Visaj shortcut icon (press the right-hand mouse button over it, and select `properties' from the menu which appears)
Choose the `Shortcut' page of the dialog
In the `target' field there will be the path to the visaj.exe file. Append `-swing' to this, click on Apply and close the dialog
This will make Visaj always use swing - to revert, simply remove the `-swing'
On Unix

visaj -swing
On Macintosh

Double-click the Visaj-Swing icon to launch Visaj with the Swing components pre-loaded onto the palette
On others

java -Dvj.rootDir=<root_dir> -Dvj.useSwing=true com.pacist.visaj.AWTClassApp


Troubleshooting

The first thing to do if you have any trouble with installing or starting Visaj is to double check that you have followed the above instructions and notes correctly. The following paragraphs should help you to sort out any problems.

Installation problems

From the Web

Ensure that you have entered the complete URL correctly. You must enter it as a complete URL - you will be unable to take small steps towards it.

Ensure that the download completed successfully. The file sizes are given on the web page - ensure that your downloaded file is the same size as indicated on the web page.

From CD-ROM

Ensure that the CD-ROM is mounted correctly and you are using the correct mount point.

If you are having problems accessing the files directly you can copy the files from the CD-ROM to a local file store.

Problems starting Visaj

Ensure your environment is correctly set up.

Windows 95/98/NT

If Visaj fails to start from the main windows interface, start a command prompt and change to the directory where installation took place, by default this is "\program files\ist\visaj". Change directory to the "bin" directory and attempt to run visaj with the -r or -R flag i.e visaj -r.

Problems may be encountered because by default your personal settings on your machine will override any of the options that you configured inside the installation script. This means that if you have a different Java version in your path than that selected inside the installation, you will override it. If you do not want your local environment to override then set your VISAJOPTS environment variable to have the -r or -R flag indicating that you wish to use the values Visaj has stored. If Visaj picks up any early versions of Java that have been left in your path it may lead to problems.

UNIX

Ensure you have java in your PATH.

More assistance

Look at the Visaj FAQ and Visaj Trouble Shooting guide on IST's web site, http://www.ist.co.uk/visaj/support/visajfaq.html and http://www.ist.co.uk/visaj/support/shoot.html.

Finally, if following the above does not cure your problem, email your Visaj supplier, and quote your Visaj Customer Reference number (of the form ABC1234), making sure you identify the product as Visaj. If your supplier is IST then you should email support@ist.co.uk.




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