Re: Running IDL from cron

[Reimar Bauer <r.bauer(at)fz-juelich.de>]

"Liam E. Gumley" wrote:

Dear Liam,

write_png instead of write_gif ...

cheers

Reimar

> 
> Gwyn Fireman wrote:
> > How do you run IDL routines from cron - while maintaining IDL_PATH and
> > other environment variables?
> >
> > I have had no trouble running my idl routines using batch or at, when
> > starting in the same directory as the main-level routine.  In that case
> > my environment is copied to the spawned process.
> >
> > Now I have the need to run these from cron.  I have been able to write
> > scripts to cd to the appropriate directory and to run my .cshrc (where
> > my IDL_PATH and other environment variables are defined), but keep
> > running into problems.  The latest is than .cshrc bombs on a
> > system-level env that apparently isn't defined when running from cron.
> 
> Craig has given you a good start in a previous post. The other item
> which often causes problems when running IDL via cron is that you can't
> use graphics windows (unless you are prepared to leave a login session
> running all the time).
> 
> The solution is to use the Z-buffer, which allows you to emulate the
> functionality of an 8-bit graphics window. Let's say you want to call
> this procedure (myplot.pro):
> 
> ;---
> PRO MYPLOT, X
> plot, x
> END
> ;---
> 
> You'll need an IDL script which sets up the Z-buffer, calls the
> procedure, and saves the resulting image (script.pro):
> 
> ;---
> ;- Set up Z buffer for 8-bit graphics
> set_plot, 'Z'
> device, z_buffering=0, set_resolution=[640, 480], $
>   set_colors=256, set_character_size=[10, 12]
> 
> ;- Run my plotting procedure
> myplot, findgen(10)
> 
> ;- Save the result to a GIF file
> tvlct, r, g, b, /get
> write_gif, 'myplot.gif', tvrd(), r, g, b
 write_png, 'myplot.png', tvrd(), r, g, b
> 
> ;- Exit IDL
> exit
> ;---
> 
> Finally, you need a shell script to configure and run IDL (script.csh):
> 
> #---
> #!/bin/csh
> cd $HOME/myplot
> source /usr/local/rsi/idl/bin/idl_setup
> setenv IDL_PATH ${IDL_PATH}:+\${IDL_DIR}/user_contrib/jhu_apl
> setenv IDL_STARTUP
> idl script.pro >& script.out
> #---
> 
> Make sure the shell script has execute permission, and you're done. Test
> the script to make sure it works:
> 
> % ./script.csh
> 
> and you should get the following output in script.out:
> 
> IDL Version 5.3 (IRIX mipseb). (c) 1999, Research Systems, Inc.
> Installation number: 13221.
> Licensed for use by: Space Science & Engineering Cntr, Univ of WI
> 
> % Compiled module: MYPLOT.
> % Compiled module: WRITE_GIF.
> % Loaded DLM: GIF.
> 
> Cheers,
> Liam.
> http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/~gumley/

-- 
Reimar Bauer 

Institut fuer Stratosphaerische Chemie (ICG-1)
Forschungszentrum Juelich
email: R.Bauer@fz-juelich.de
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg1/
=============================================
a IDL library at ForschungsZentrum Jülich
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg1/idl_icglib/idl_lib_intro.html

http://www.fz-juelich.de/zb/text/publikation/juel3786.html