Virtual Observatory Software for Astronomers

Installation Step By Step

Step-1 : check your set up

Two of the AstroGrid Desktop applications (VODesktop and Topcat) and many other applications from other projects, are Java applications, that you simply download and run. (VODesktop is also available as a Mac App.) Most people will already have an up to date Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed and everything will be easy. However, if you want to check this out, read the What do I need? page. AstroGrid Python on the other hand is not a Java application, but a package of Python modules. It assumes that you have Python Version 2.4 or later set up on your machine.

Step-2 : download the software

Visit the Download Page and download the applications, saving to a convenient location. For VODesktop and Topcat, you download a "foo.jar" file, which is the same for all platforms. For the Mac App version of VODesktop, you download the .dmg file and run this to create the App file. For AstroGrid Python, you download an "egg" file, which like a jar file is platform independent.

Step-3 : run the software

How you run the jar files depends on which operating system you are using:

  • Linux: run with java -Xmx512M -jar name.jar
  • Mac OSX App version: just run the App like any other App
  • Mac OSX jar version : open a Terminal, cd to the directory that you saved the jar file to, and run with java -Xmx512M -jar name.jar
  • Windows XP / Vista: Open a Command Prompt window, cd to the folder that you saved the jar file to, and run with java -Xmx512M -jar name.jar

On Windows and Mac you can simply click on the jar file. However, for running VODesktop we recommend using a reasonable amount of memory, which is what the -Xmx512M bit is about. For running Topcat and Aladin, clicking on the jar file is fine. The Mac App version of VODesktop automatically launches with 512M.

You will then see a splash screen followed by the opening window. For VODesktop, you will also get a small icon on your desktop or system tray, from which you can pick various options.

Step-4 : Get a Community account

Most things you will want to do at first can be done anonymously. Just run the software and start working. Some things however require you to be registered with a community. Examples include using virtual storage (VOSpace), or proprietary access to some data, e.g. UKIDSS. An increasing number of VO services round the world follow the same identity and authentication standards, so that having such an account offers the advantage of single sign on. If you want an account, please email signup @ astrogrid.org to request a username. In your registration email please include your name and academic department. (NB: this information will remain confidential to the AstroGrid project)

Step-5 : download more VO tools

Other projects also have some very nice tools, many of which interoperate smoothly with AstroGrid tools. (For example, if you have the CDS Aladin image analysis tool running, and locate an image using VO Explorer, you can send the image straight to Aladin.) On the More VO Tools page we provide links to web pages where you can download such tools, or sometime run tools directly through project web pages. Please note that we don't guarantee that these links remain correct, but we will do our best !

Acknowledging AstroGrid. If you make use of the AstroGrid system or tools, we would be grateful if you could acknowledge this use in any resulting publications. You could use these words: 'This research has made use of data obtained using, or software provided by, the UK's AstroGrid Virtual Observatory Project, which is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and through the EU's Framework 6 programme.' Use of any data discovered or accessed through AstroGrid should of course be mentioned as noted by the data providers.

Licensing and Copyright. AstroGrid software is released under the Academic Free License.. The copyright on the text used in these web pages is owned by the contributing authors. Copyright on images used are assumed to be with the indicated or implied source as appropriate.