Create a Windows Sandbox

This page is under construction

Open Issues

• C++ Express is for 2010. 2010 has not been tested.

No Express version has been tested.

• The zip file is 1.7GB and will grow.

This may slow over broadband - one time setup.

• Raw CVS access does not check for merging.

Recent changes can be overwritten if they collide.

• Raw CVS access does not enforce end of line.

Cygwin CVS messes up if CR/LF text is checked in.

• Transferring files from CS to the outside requires VPN.

It can be slow from off site and is unreliable. Set up scp for Windows?

• Copying large data set may not be possible.

Make Dvd distributions available?

• Setting up environment variable is not automated.

A Power Shell script or C++ program can write to the registry. A Dos shell script can only work for a session.

Manual Process for Setting up $G on a Remote Windows System

Install Prerequisite Third Party Software

• When working remotely at Brown you will want to have ssh and VPN set up. These tools are supported by the CS department tStaff. If you need help email: problem@cs.brown.edu

  http://cs.brown.edu/system/net_remote/

• Visual Studio - You will need Studio to compile C++ projects.

In order to Build projects within studio you will need to create a project or solution file. You can check in the project file so it can be used elsewhere. However, be sure the project file only uses relative paths.

  http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/#2010-Visual-CPP

• Python - You will need Python to run scripts. The 3.1.2 version is recent byt any version from 2.6 on will do. Your projects may not require Python so you can defer this. Still Python is a great tool to install.

  http://www.python.org/download/
  http://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.1.2/python-3.1.2.msi

Directories that make up a remote sandbox

Populate your sandbox directories From the CS file system. Only a few imports are needed for a given project. Since import directories can be large, just copy the ones you need. Alternatively you can just copy over the zip file with everything.

  common\*                       From /map/gfx0/tools/public/clone/common/
                                   or CVS if you want the latest version.
  import\make\*                  From /map/gfx0/tools/public/clone/import/make/
  import\<select imports>        From /map/gfx0/tools/public/clone/import/import/...

You only need to set up the project directories you will be working with.

  project\<select projects>      From CVS @ project/...

Unless you intend to use files from the data directory then you do not need to create a data directory. If you do need some data files then plan wisely because many are large.

  data\*                         From /map/gfx0/data/<select data>

When you perform a make install your project is installed under the %GTO%\install_WIN32\ directory. This directory will be created the first time you install a project. You can also copy pre-built projects from the clone area.

  install_WIN32\*                From /map/gfx0/tools/public/clone/install_WIN32/...

Set Environment variables

      G - At %G%\common
             %G%\import

    GTO - At %GTO%\install_WIN32

  GROOT - At %GROOT%\data

  GARCH - WIN32

   PATH - %G%\import\make\g.utility_1.0;%PATH%

In the simplest sandbox setup, unzip the common and import files to your sandbox directory.

For example if your sandbox is:  c:\g\
             You should set up:  c:\g\common\
                                 c:\g\import\

Set G, GTO, and GROOT all to your sandbox.

 For example if your sandbox is:  c:\g\
  Then set G, GTO, and GROOT to:  c:\g\
                       GARCH to:  WIN32
                        PATH to:  c:\g\import\make\g.utility_1.0;%PATH%

Building software

You can work from a command line using a Dos shell or Power Shell

  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb978526.aspx

Build the common utility libraries. Many things use this.

  > cd  common\utility
  > make all
  > make install

Build any other libraries you might want to use. You can do this as needed.

  > cd  ..\gg
  > make all
  > make install