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INTERNAL: IDL 6.3: How do I install IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X through a UNIX style installer script?

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The IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X distribution is not available on the IDL 6.3 for UNIX installation CD-ROM due to space limitations*. Additionally, a UNIX-style installer for IDL for Mac OS X is not available on the IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X installation CD-ROM. However, a non-GUI, UNIX-style installer is available as a download file from the ITT VIS web site.

A UNIX-style non-graphical interface installer for IDL for Mac OS X can be useful in some circumstances, for example:

  • When the local console Mac OS X user environment is not available, such as when installing IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X over a remote shell session.
  • When installing IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X to a shared network directory location from a machine with a non-Mac OS X, IDL 6.3-supported UNIX or Linux operating system. (For example, installing IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X to a network directory, where the installing machine is Linux.)
  • When the installation directory should not contain an "rsi" parent directory, for example: /usr/local/itt/idl_6.3. (This stems from the fact that the IDL for Mac OS X native GUI-style installer uses a legacy Macintosh convention, creating a parent "rsi" directory above the "idl_6.3" directory, for example: "/Applications/rsi/idl_6.3".)

This Tech Tip article outlines how to obtain and install a non-GUI UNIX-style installer for the IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X distribution.

* Previous versions of IDL for Mac OS X (IDL versions 5.6 through 6.2) could be installed from those versions of the IDL for UNIX installation CD-ROM using the UNIX-style installer program.Discussion:
Steps to download and install IDL 6.3 for Mac OS X using a UNIX-style non-GUI installer:

  1. From the www.ittvis.com website, select the menu item Support->Downloads.

    downloadmenu
  2. From the "Product:" pulldown menu, select "IDL - 6.3"
  3. From the "Platform:" pulldown menu, select "UNIX"
  4. From the "Type:" pulldown menu, select "Product Download"
  5. Click on the "Submit" button after making your selections.

    downloaditems
  6. From the table items that are presented, click on the "Download" link for the item "IDL 6.3 - Mac OS X - Unix tar file".
  7. On the page that appears, click on the "IDL 6.3 - UNIX Installation Instructions" link for instructions to install.
  8. To download the "idl_darwin.ppc.tar.gz" distribution file, click on the "Download" button.

    downloaddetails
Please note that the files to run the FLEXlm license manager service are always included in the IDL 6.3 installation for UNIX, Linux and Mac OS X. A separate download of the "FLEXlm License Server" files is necessary only if you need to run the FLEXlm license manager on a machine that will not have an IDL installation for that platform, or if a directory tree that is separate from the IDL installation is required for the FLEXlm license manager files.