2 Installation and Usage

2.0.1 How do I get Charm++?

See our download page.

2.0.2 Should I use the CVS version of Charm++?

The developers of Charm++ routinely use the latest CVS versions, and most of the time this is the best case. Occasionally something breaks, but the CVS version will likely contain bug fixes not found in the releases.

2.0.3 How do I compile Charm++?

Run the interactive build script ./build with no extra arguments If this fails, email ppl@cs.uiuc.edu with the problem. Include the build line used (this is saved automatically in smart-build.log)

If you have a very unusual machine configuration, you will have to run ./build -help to list all possible build options. You will then choose the closest architecture, and then you may have to modify the associated conf-mach.sh and conv-mach.h files in src/arch to point to your desired compilers and options. If you develop a significantly different platform, send the modified files to ppl@cs.uiuc.edu so we can include it in the distribution.

2.0.4 How do I compile AMPI?

Run the interactive build script ./build and choose the option for building ``Charm++, AMPI, ParFUM, FEM and other libraries''.

2.0.5 Can I remove part of charm tree after compilation to free disk space?

2.0.6 If the interactive script fails, how do I compile Charm++?

2.0.7 How do I specify the processors I want to use?

For the net versions, you need to write a nodelist file which lists all the machine hostnames available for parallel runs.

group main
  host foo1
  host foo2 ++cpus 4
  host foo3.bar.edu

For the MPI version, you need to set up an MPI configuration for available machines as for normal MPI applications.

2.0.8 How do I use ssh instead of the deprecated rsh?

You need to set up your .ssh/authorized_keys file correctly. Setup no-password logins using ssh by putting the correct host key (ssh-keygen) in the file .ssh/authorized_keys.

Finally, in the .nodelist file, you specify the shell to use for remote execution of a program using the keyword ++shell.

group main ++shell ssh
  host foo1
  host foo2
  host foo3

2.0.9 Can I use the serial library X from a Charm program?

Yes. Some of the known working serial libraries include:

• The Tcl/Tk interpreter (in NAMD)
• The Python interpreter (in Cosmo prototype)
• OpenGL graphics (in graphics demos)
• Metis mesh partitioning (included with charm)

2.0.10 How do I get the command-line switches available for a specific program?

Try

./charmrun ./pgm -help

to see a list of parameters at the command line. The charmrun arguments are documented in the Installation and Usage Manual the arguments for the installed libraries are listed in the library manuals.