Open64-4.2.1 Installation Guide on Ubuntu

As promised, the next GSoC post dedicated to Open64 is here. The latest version is 4.2.1 available in both precompiled binaries (tar.gz file and rpm) and the source. Installation is pretty much easy and straight-forward but because of compatibility problem of the open64 C++ compiler and the gcc-4.3 version, which comes as the default gcc in Intrepid Ibex, I faced a lot of problem while installation. It actually took me three days (which I am ashamed to admit) before a successful installation on my Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex running on I386 arch processor.
While installing I found quite a few installation guides, some dedicated specifically to Ubuntu installation but found none of them to be helpful enough. Also few of the files in the source file of the version were missing a few headers because of which it was giving errors while running . So I am posting here, a step-by-step guide on successful and hassle-free installation of Open64-4.2.1 on Intrepid Ibex systems.

• Download the binary depending on the architecture of your own; I had downloaded the I386 arch binary. (Also do not download the src file which is buggy. However, if you are able to perform a successful installation using the src, please inform me too.)
• Add the following lines to your ~/.bashrc file. Save and exit.
  
export TOOLROOT=~/compiler
export PATH=$TOOLROOT/bin:$PATH

• Now, source the updated bashrc file by the command.
source ~/.bashrc

• Make a new directory compiler in the home directory.
mkdir ~/compiler

• As the gcc-version pre installed in Intrepid is version 4.3 and Open64-4.2.1 has compatibility issues with it, we need to uninstall gcc-4.3 and install gcc-4.1. The easiest way is using Synaptic Packet Manager (System>Administration>Synaptic Packet Manager, of the desktop panel).
  

• In the same manner, mark gcc-4.1 for installation, in the Synaptic and Click on Apply. The changes will take place.
• Similarly, follow the above process to remove g++-4.3 and install g++-4.1
• Now in order to make the commands and work, we need to link them to the 4.1 version compilers.
  
sudo ln -s gcc-4.1 gcc
sudo ln -s g++-4.1 g++

• Now extract the binary using the tar xjvf name-of-the-tar-file.tar.bz2 command. to the extracted directory and run ./INSTALL.sh
• Now opencc (C compiler), openCC (C++ compiler) and openf90 (Fortran compiler) are installed and can be used.
• Optionally, gcc-4.3 and g++-4.3 can be installed again. The compilers will work regardless :D

The above mentioned steps perfectly installed Open64 compilers on my system. So if anyone faces a problem while installation or any error, feel free to discuss on the mailing-list or join us at #open64 at irc.freenode.net

Hopefully, a Fedora installation guide will come up very soon by l0nwlf. Will be back with more developments on both the projects when any significant progress will be made.
So, Happy GSoC-ing to all potential applicants. Indeed, life is good!

Making the GNOME desktop location-aware

Here comes the first GSoC '09 post of the blog, from kr0y. Hopefully more of these will follow, from both l0nwlf's and my contribution.
Being a silent watcher last year, I decided to gear up for participation in this year's GSoC partly due to the fact that its my last year in college and I won't be officially a student anymore. GSoC has been a great experience so far in the sense that I have actually begun to appreciate and understand the real steps that need to be done which can help you contribute to the FOSS movement. After going through the list of tentative organisations which might be participating this year, I have been happy to be introduced to two, Gnome (which needs no introduction to Linux literates) and Open64. It doesn't matter whether or not the project ideas I am going to submit under these two, get selected in GSoC, but because of the event I have finally given my shot at open-source development and am absolutely loving it :D If selected, I'll get luckier but if not, I am still lucky.

Starting with the Gnome project which was mentioned in the list of ideas for 2009 and caught my attention was "Making the GNOME desktop location-aware". The project, as the topic states, will help the Gnome-desktop know the location of the machine, and hence the user, through the use of smart technologies (GPS, GSM, IP Address, WiFi, User Tracking, Proximity etc.) Although initially proposed to just help the clock get automatically updated about the location and hence change the time and weather settings accordingly, it can be extended to include various other Gnome applications as well, as suggested by Henri Bergius & Jussi Kukkonen. The other functionalities which are proposed to be considered in the project are listed as follows:
1. Tracker can store the edited documents in the location-specific order.
2. Clock can not only automatically update the time & weather settings but also display the appointments specific to a location.
3. Evolution can show where the contacts are present and their local time.
4. Setting the Internet messengers' default status, location dependent on the location (Available at home and Busy in office, for eg.)
5. Displaying map of the locality (using Google maps or OpenStreetMap).

Jussi has already worked on the implementation of automatic updation of clock depending on location. A screenshot of the same from here:


More about the same can be found here and here.

Coming to Open64, all I can say for now is that working on compilers is challenging and exciting at the same time. The proposed list of ideas can be found here. More will be said about it later. So keep watching this space.