WIYN Observatory

The Hydra Simulator

There is a Hydra Simulator available for observers planning their observations. There are several ways to gain access to the Simulator:

  1. Download the Simulator to run on your local Linux machine. [This requires you have a Linux machine. Please see the README file first.]
  2. Install a Virtual Box on your machine and install the Simulator there. This is relatively straightforward and fully documented.
  3. Logging to a WIYN computer to use the Simulator hosted there. [Note that only 1 observer can use the Simulator at a time]

Installing the Hydra Simulator on a Virtual Machine

Programs you will need to download:

  1. Virtual Box (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads)
  2. 64-bit Debian (http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/8.2.0/amd64/iso-cd/ - just get the iso of CD1)

  1. Install Virtual Box
  2. Launch Virtual Box and select "New" from the title bar. This will allow you to install a new virtual machine.
  3. Point to the 64-bit Debian CD1 iso that you downloaded.
  4. This web site gives a very detailed step-by-step instruction on how to install Debian on your Virtual Box - better than I could write. Follow the instructions there explicitly, except where inappropriate (e.g. setting your location).
  5. When queried for which pre-bundled software packages to install, choose "Debian desktop environment, SSH server, and Standard System Utilities".
  6. Once Debian launches you'll need to grab the hydra simulator from NOAO's anonymous FTP site (you may need to run in "passive" mode). Your email address is the password.

  7. Unpack the hydra_tools tar ball:
    tar -xvf hydra_tools.0.9.fedora.tgz
    This will make a 'hydra_simulator' directory.
  8. Before attempting to run the Hydra Simulator be sure to grab the current concentricities file.
    cd hydrasimulator/bin/
    getcon
  9. Change into the "hydra_simulator" directory and follow the instructions in the README file to run the Hydra Simulator.Before executing the 'hydrasim' command you'll need to change a notation in the hydrasim file (~/hydra_simulator/bin/hydrasim). Replace line 21 (the line that begins with xterm -T "Hydra Simulator CLI"...) with the following line:
    xterm -tn xterm-24 -T "Hydra Simulator CLI" -bg blue -fg white -e ${FIBBIN}/fiborgsim -G &