Computing Tips for New Group Members


emacs syntax highlighting (.emacs)
-------------------------
; syntax-based color
(global-font-lock-mode t)

emacs reftex support (.emacs)
--------------------
(autoload 'reftex-mode "reftex" "RefTeX Minor Mode" t)
(autoload 'turn-on-reftex "reftex" "RefTeX Minor Mode" nil)
(add-hook 'tex-mode-hook 'turn-on-reftex)
(setq reftex-enable-partial-scans t)
(setq reftex-save-parse-info t)
(setq reftex-use-multiple-selection-buffers t)
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.tex\\'" . LaTeX-mode) auto-mode-alist))

always end a file with a newline (.emacs)
--------------------------------
(setq require-final-newline t)

emacs tips:
----------
emacs -nw (when X-forwarding is off or slow)
column cut & paste (ctrl-x r k and ctrl-x r y); ctrl-shift-2 marks corner


nedit IDL syntax highlighting
-----------------------------
installation instructions


IDL erasing plot windows (.idl/itt/pref-10-idl_7_0-unix/idl.pref)
------------------------
IDL_GR_X_RETAIN : IDLPixmap

IDL color fix (on screen color tables)
-------------
device,decompose=0

IDL tips:
--------
idl eps's don't print, use device,encapsulated=0
idl "?" help won't work if firefox already open

IDL astronomy library (.mycshrc)
---------------------
setenv IDL_PATH "+/usr/lib/idl/:<IDL_DEFAULT>"
if you want to add more just insert "+yourpathhere:" before "<IDL_DEFAULT>"

IDL license checkout feature (for travel)
-----------------------------------------
1. plug laptop into wired Phillips Hall network and boot the laptop while attached so you have a valid IP address
2. launch IDL to verify full functionality (e.g., try plot command)
3. exit IDL
4. check out a license at the linux command line:
/usr/local/lib/itt/idl/bin/lmutil lmborrow idl_lmgrd dd-mmm-yyyy [hh:mm]
where the date and time represent the ending time when the license will expire, for example:
/usr/local/lib/itt/idl/bin/lmutil lmborrow idl_lmgrd 13-Nov-2008 13:30
5. launch idl and exit idl
6. disable the borrow feature to prevent additional unintended checkouts:
/usr/local/lib/itt/idl/bin/lmutil lmborrow -clear
7. confirm the license has been borrowed successfully
/usr/local/lib/itt/idl/bin/lmutil lmborrow -status
8. disconnect from the network, reboot offline, and verify that IDL works


firefox multiple browser issues:
-------------------------------
As noted above, firefox is not configured to work well
with multiple machines and/or browser windows here at UNC.
You can at least get independent browsers on multiple machines like so:
0. Quit firefox if it is already running.
1. Launch firefox's profile editor:
firefox -P
2. Click "Create Profile" and create a new profile. Name it for the target
host (example: cielo). The default folder location is usually fine. Repeat
for other hosts as needed. Quit the profile editor.
3. Add lines to your .mycshrc to make profile selection automatic:
if (`uname -n` == 'cielo')
alias firefox "firefox -P cielo -no-remote"
endif
4. If you want the original profile, type "/usr/bin/firefox"
(this will be the default on any machine for which you don't have
lines in your .mycshrc file as above)
NOTE that the PANIC folks do *not* know a way to copy your bookmarks over.

general linux fixes:
-------------------
ssh -X enables optimal X-forwarding
unset autologout (in both .mychsrc and .mylogin)

directory highlighting (.mycshrc)
----------------------
switch ( `uname` )
case "Linux":
alias ls "ls --color=auto --classify"
breaksw
case "SunOS":
unalias ls
breaksw
endsw

useful functions under linux:
----------------------------
screen useful for flaky wireless or home connections (man screen)
enscript -r -fCourier9 -L48 -MLetter -ptest.ps
ps2pdf - can help with printing, file size, etc.
pdf2ps - can help with printing, file size, etc.
bibtool (maybe only on cielo?)
bibtool -k -o outfile.bib infile.bib
this will give labels in authors:firstword format
ksnapshot -- screen capture
display -- screen capture
gimp -- image editing & screen capture
awk, unix scripting -- column management, character processing, wild cards...

alias for command strings you always use (.mycshrc)
----------------------------------------
alias dvips "dvips -t letter"

gaia (.mycshrc)
------
if (`uname -n` == 'cielo') then
alias convert2 /usr/bin/convert
setenv STARLINK_DIR /usr/local/lib/starlink/star
source $STARLINK_DIR/etc/cshrc
source $STARLINK_DIR/etc/login
setenv ADAM_USER
endif

linux tips
----------
ctrl-z & fg -- suspend and foreground (un-suspend)
ps aux | grep username -- find your processes
kill -9 # -- kill process with ID number #
top -- show processes using CPU time

IRAF (login.cl)
-------
set stdimage = imt7

databases, tutorials, and software
----------------------------------
NASA astrophysics abstract service
ArXiV preprint archive server
NASA Extragalactic Database, NED
HyperLeda Galaxy Database
Sloan digital sky survey, ugriz photometry plus optical fiber spectroscopy
NASA/IPAC infrared science archive, including 2MASS & Spitzer
GALEX data online
HST data search form
CADC HST data query form
CADC access to ACS/WFPC2 associations (stacks and parallel obsns)
astrophysics source code library links
link to NEMO stellar dynamics toolbox
list of other public codes besides NEMO
stellar kinematics data analysis code
Astromatic software(sextractor)

IDL astronomy library
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming
Xuan's IDL tutorial for beginning programmers
IDL tutorial for astro grads
IDL online manual info
tutorials on IDL, Unix, emacs, LaTeX
another Unix tutorial
another Unix tutorial
another Unix tutorial
another Unix tutorial
another Unix tutorial
IRAF tutorial
beginners guide to IRAF
astronomy observing tools
astrostatistics resources
cosmology calculator
Hogg cosmological distance measures article
RESOLVE Survey

Stuff from Exgal Group Meetings:
-------------------------------------
Maximum Likelihood Resources from Amanda: site 1 and site 2
David's presentation on Bayes' Theorem
Jesse's presentation on SPS modeling errors (from Conroy et al. 2009)
Katie's presentation on Monte Carlo simulation methods