[Erlang Systems]

2 Installation of Development Environment

This chapter is about installing the Development Environment on UNIX or Windows NT. A Development Environment consists of all functionality needed for development, e.g. runtime system, compiler, standard libraries, graphics package, full documentation sets, but no Embedded Environment specific functionality as automatic start at reboot, activation of hardware watchdog etc.

2.1 UNIX in General

Erlang/OTP runs on a number of different UNIX systems. The installation is performed in a similar way for all of them. Refer to the individual subsections below for specific hardware and software requirements and any details that may differ.

2.1.1 Hardware and Software Requirements

The system is delivered as a single compressed tar file, and the installation requires approximately 50 MB of file system space, including the printed documentation in machine readable format. This can, if desired, be removed when the installation is completed.

As UNIX supports virtual memory, no strict minimum of physical memory is required, but as with all applications, shortage of physical memory will have negative effects on performance. The amount of virtual memory used by the Erlang runtime system is mostly dependent on the amount of code loaded, and the number and complexity of Erlang processes running. Eight to ten MB is not unusual for a fairly complex system.

To browse the on-line HTML documentation, Netscape 3.0 or equivalent browser is needed.

2.1.2 Installation Procedure

When installed, the entire system, except for a small start-up script, resides in a single directory tree. The location of this directory tree can be chosen arbitrarily by the installer, and it does not need to be in the user's $PATH. The only requirements are that the file system where it is placed has enough free space (see above), and that the users who run Erlang/OTP have read access to it. In the example below, the directory tree is assumed to be located at /usr/local/erlang, which is here called the top-level directory.

It is assumed that you have got a compressed tape archive file (tar file), the name of which is <PREFIX>.tar.Z, or <PREFIX>.tar.gz, where <PREFIX> is a string denoting the particular Development Environment release, e.g. otp_LXA11928_sunos5_R2A.

Wherever the string <PREFIX> is used below, it should be replaced by the actual name prefix of the compressed tar file.

The tape archive file does not have one single directory in which all other files are rooted. Therefore the tape archive file must be extracted into an empty (newly created) directory.

  1. If the top-level directory does not already exist, create it:

      mkdir /usr/local/erlang
      

  2. Change the current directory to the top level directory:

      cd /usr/local/erlang
      

  3. Create the installation directory in the current directory. A suitable name is <PREFIX>, e.g.

      mkdir /usr/local/erlang/otp_LXA11928_sunos5_R2A
      

  4. Change to the installation directory, e.g.

      cd otp_LXA11928_sunos5_R2A
      

  5. The compressed tar file is assumed to reside in the directory <SOME-DIR>. Extract the compressed tar file into the current directory by using precisely one of the following commands (depending on wether the suffix of the file name is .Z or .gz):

      zcat <SOME-DIR>/<PREFIX>.tar.Z | tar xfp -
      gunzip -c <SOME-DIR>/<PREFIX>.tar.gz | tar xfp -
      

  6. Read the README file in the installation directory for last minute updates, before proceeding.

  7. Run the Install script in the installation directory, with the absolute path of the installation directory as argument,

      ./Install /usr/local/erlang/<PREFIX>
      
    and supply answers to the prompts.
    In most cases, there is a default answer in square brackets ([]). If the default is satisfactory, just press <Return>. In general you are only prompted for two pieces of information:
    • The default boot script. For a plain development environment you should use start_clean, but if you are for instance developing for an embedded system, start_sasl is appropriate.

    • For those systems where the X Window interface pxw is included, the version and location of the X libraries. Pxw does not require any X libraries in the system, but using existing libraries will normally result in a smaller binary file. However, if existing libraries are to be used, they must be compatible with the MIT X11R5 release (X11 R6 is).

    The script will in some cases link object files in the distribution into executable binaries for the current system.

  8. Make the Development Environment available for users, either by putting the path /usr/local/erlang/<PREFIX>/bin in users $PATH variable, or link the executable /usr/local/erlang/<PREFIX>/bin/erl accordingly, e.g.:

      ln -s /usr/local/erlang/<PREFIX>/bin/erl /usr/local/bin/erl 
      

On UNIX systems where there is a choice between different methods of name resolution, the user can control his choice by setting the environment variable ERL_RESOLV to a suitable value. If ERL_RESOLV is set to nodns, the configuration of the underlying UNIX system defines the name resolution scheme to use. If ERL_RESOLV is set to dns, or if ERL_RESOLV is not defined, only the resolver of the Domain Name System (DNS) is used.

Which name resolution method to choose depends on how the computer(s) in your network have been configured for name resolution. If in doubt, consult your local system administrator.

2.2 SunOS 4

2.2.1 Hardware and Software Requirements

Erlang/OTP for SunOS4 runs on any Sun4 system. Due to the way the installation is done, it should be possible to run an Erlang runtime system on any release of SunOS 4. However, there are many bugs in the early versions, and it is recommended that at least SunOS 4.1.4 is used.

2.2.2 Installation Procedure

No version of Sun's OpenWindows for SunOS 4 based on X11R5 has been released, and thus the OpenWindows libraries are not usable by pxw. If the MIT X11R5 release has been installed, pxw can use those libraries, otherwise just answer `no' to the Install script's question about X11R5-compatible libraries.

2.3 SunOS 5 (Solaris 2)

2.3.1 Hardware and Software Requirements

Like the SunOS 4 version, this version will run on any Sun 4 system. The minimum OS version recommended is 5.5.1, i.e. Solaris 2.5.1.

If you are installing an embedded system, patch 103640-02 should be added.

2.3.2 Installation Procedure

The X libraries in OpenWindows release 3.2 (which is the one included in Solaris 2.5.1) are based on X11R5, and is thus usable by pxw. However, as no C compiler is bundled with Solaris 2, all executable files are pre-linked. pxw is linked to expect the X libraries in /usr/openwin/lib.

2.4 Linux

2.4.1 Hardware and Software Requirements

Erlang/OTP for Linux runs on x86 Personal Computers. A minimum of 16MB memory and swapping-enabled is recommended.

2.4.2 Installation Procedure

The installation procedure does not differ from the description for installation on UNIX in general.

2.5 Windows NT

2.5.1 Hardware and Software Requirements

Erlang/OTP for Windows NT runs on x86 Personal Computers. A minimum of 16MB memory is recommended.

The minimum OS version required is Windows NT 4.0. If distributed Erlang, or the Erlang networking applications socket or udp, or any of the graphics tools based on gs are to be used, networking must be configured and Windows Sockets version 2.0 (which is a standard component of Windows NT 4.0) must be available on the system.

To browse the on-line HTML documentation, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, Netscape 3.0 or equivalent browser is needed.

2.5.2 Installation Procedure

The installation procedure is is automated, except for a few initial and final steps.

It is assumed that you have got an Erlang distribution in one of the following forms:

Here <PREFIX> is a string denoting the particular release version, e.g. otp_LXA11928_win40_R2A. Whenever the string <PREFIX> occurs below, it should during the installation procedure be replaced by the actual name.

2.5.2.1 Distribution is on file <PREFIX>.zip

  1. Move the file <PREFIX>.zip to a temporary directory, e.g. the directory

        D:\TMP
      

  2. Unzip the contents of the file (use for instance the WinZip application).

  3. Use Windows Explorer for navigating to the directory where the distribution was unzipped.

  4. Read the README file in that directory (double-click on the icon) for last minute updates before proceeding, and follow the instructions in that file, if there are any.

  5. In the same directory, run the SETUP.EXE program which will automatically install the complete distribution.

  6. Go to Final Installation Step below.

2.5.2.2 Distribution is on file <PREFIX>.tar

  1. Move the file <PREFIX>.tar to a temporary directory, e.g.

        D:\TMP
      

  2. Next you have to unpack the contents of the file. If you have the WinZip application installed, use it for unpacking the file (it works for both .zip and .tar files).
    If you do not have the WinZip application, hold of a copy of tar.exe for Windows NT, and extract the file in the temporary directory chosen, as follows,
        tar xvf <PREFIX>.tar
      

  3. Use Windows Explorer for navigating to the directory where the distribution was extracted.

  4. Read the README file in that directory (double-click on the icon) for last minute updates before proceeding, and follow the instructions in that file, if there are any.

  5. In the same directory run the SETUP.EXE program, which will automatically install the complete distribution.

  6. Go to Final Installation Step below.

2.5.2.3 Distribution is on CD-ROM

  1. Use Windows Explorer for navigating to the directory on the CD-ROM where the Erlang distribution is located.

  2. Read the README file in that directory (double-click on the icon) for last minute updates before proceeding, and follow the instructions in that file, if there are any.

  3. In the same directory, run the SETUP.EXE program which will automatically install the complete distribution.

  4. Go to Final Installation Step below.

2.5.2.4 Final Installation Steps

  1. When the installation has ended successfully, a shortcut Erlang icon has been created on your desktop, and the initial current directory for Erlang will be set according to the environment variables HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH, i.e. the users home directory.
    If the initial current directory set by the installation is not what you want, reconfigure the shortcut accordingly.

Erlang can now be started by double-clicking on the shortcut icon.


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