Re: Problem in setting up FERRET

[Ansley Manke <ansley.b.manke@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi -
I'll see if I can help you out -- those users who run Ferret under windows may be able to add more suggestions as well.  I'll insert my answers after each of your questions.

S Y Phoon wrote:

Hi,

I understand that FERRET could be used to convert NetCDF to ASCII.

 

I’m still stuck in the setting up part. I’m a Window XP user.

I’ve set up the DISPLAY environment variable (not sure whether I did it correctly – I create a NEW – VARIABLE with the value being the directory to my x-server. I’m using the cygwin/X). I managed to have graphs displayed then running “GO tutorial”.

 

1. Where should I type “setenv DISPLAY :0.0; export DISPLAY”  the command? It’s not recognized both in the X bash window as well as the bash Ferret. (below is the return).

bash: setenv: command not found

If you ran GO TUTORIAL and had the plot windows appear, then I think you have done everything you need to.  Here is a message from the Users List Archive about setting up cygwin.
 
http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/Ferret/Mail_Archives/fu_2004/msg00592.html

2. How can I configure my Web browser?

Yes? Help

Starting your default Web browser…

Yes? No browser configured on this system

There is no new information in "HELP".  It should just open up a browser and come to the Ferret documentation web pages.  Because of confusion about this, we changed Ferret in more recent versions of Ferret (not yet available for Windows XP).  It now just issues this message when the user types HELP

     Detailed help is available online at www.ferret.noaa.gov
     To obtain a list of FERRET commands type    SHOW COMMANDS
     To obtain a list of FERRET functions type    SHOW FUNCTIONS
     To obtain a list of FERRET transforms type    SHOW TRANSFORM

3. I can’t retrieve those existing demo files (e.g. coads_climatology, levitus_climatology… etc). Probably due to the fact that my web browser is not configure? (below is the return)

SET DATA coads_climatology

**TMAP ERR: non-existent or not on line

                        Searched $FER_DESCR and $FER_DATA for coads_cliamtology (.des,.cdf,.nc)

This does not have to do with the browser or display settings.  Did you download the file ferret_data.zip and run setup?  (This is step 6 in the installation instructions.)

4. Where should I store my NetCDF files in order for me to USE them?

The files can be anywhere, and you would point to them by including their full path names. If you include a directory, put the entire path and filename in quotes. For example the Ferret command

yes? set data "C:\tmp/newdata/mydata.nc"

You can also put the files in the default Ferret directory, /tmp.  If files are in /tmp then you can say,

yes? set data localdata.nc

Thanks a million in advance for the trouble in understanding my problems as well as giving me some ‘enlightenments’.

 

Regards, syinyi

 

Miss S Y Phoon

F59B, Civil Engineering Dept.

The Univeristy of Birmingham

Edgbaston B15 2TT