Installation of the XCLASS interface

Before you start the installation, please make sure that "casa" is execute at least once after the installation (upgrade) of CASA.

After downloading the zip-file, unzip the file, go to the new created "XCLASS-Interface" directory, and execute the install script

python install-in-casa.py --mpi

In order to install the SMP version of the XCLASS interface, replace " " by " ", i.e.

python install-in-casa.py --smp

Please note, that ..

  • CASA's SSL python-package uses an old SSL version, which causes problems with XCLASS's UpdateDatabase function. As a "dirty" workaround, please execute

    export PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY=0

    at the command line before you start CASA.
     

  • CASA version (4.7.0-1) for MAC 10.11 does not contain the pyfits package, althought pyfits is still available in the RHL 6 version. So, the MAC users have to to install the astropy package manually. Please install astropy and not pyfits to get the latest pyfits version. A detailed description of how to install astropy in CASA can be found here.
     
  • the user has to re-execute this installation script (without compilation option), whenever the XCLASS interface directory is moved or a new CASA distribution is installed!  

  • renaming the XCLASS interface directory is not allowed!

  • neither the installation of the XCLASS interface nor the interface itself requires root privileges!

  • Matplotlib: Sometimes, an error occurs, if the XCLASS interface opens a matplotlib graph within CASA. In order to fix this bug, close CASA remove the ".matplotlib/" directory in your home directory, go back to your XCLASS interface directory and start CASA again without executing the installation script.