[lindstroem]

Hi everybody,

I read a lot of different ways of installing OpenFOAM in a central way. But anyhow, I still can't compile my own solvers on my local machine with OF installed centrally because I don't have write permission on the central installation. Do I really need it? Or do I have to change sth in the Make/options etc?

Another question I was thinking about is: I use a Desktop and a Laptop. Both have OF installed. If I now have a personal OF-directory on a network storage could I use them for both installtions? Of course I would run the simulations locally on the machine, but the compiled sources of my own implementations would be present for the connected Computer?

Thanks for your help!
Lindstroem

[wyldckat]

Hi Lindstroem,

Originally Posted by lindstroem

But anyhow, I still can't compile my own solvers on my local machine with OF installed centrally because I don't have write permission on the central installation. Do I really need it? Or do I have to change sth in the Make/options etc?

Have you ever read the tutorial about adding temperature to icoFoam? Here's an excerpt of the detail you are looking for:

Originally Posted by http://openfoamwiki.net/index.php/How_to_add_temperature_to_icoFoam

Now go into the Make subdirectory and open the 'files' file with your favorite editor. Change it to read:

my_icoFoam.C

EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/my_icoFoam

This is also explained here: http://www.openfoam.com/docs/user/co...0-740003.2.2.3

For libraries use $(FOAM_USER_LIBBIN)


________________________________

Originally Posted by lindstroem

Another question I was thinking about is: I use a Desktop and a Laptop. Both have OF installed. If I now have a personal OF-directory on a network storage could I use them for both installtions? Of course I would run the simulations locally on the machine, but the compiled sources of my own implementations would be present for the connected Computer?

Well... this is sort of a hidden feature of OpenFOAM... in other words, only those who look at the code and those who went to workshops will figure this one out:

• You can create a file named prefs.sh where you set some of the environment variables you want to modify, such as where to look for the desired OpenFOAM.
• This file can reside in one of the following places, with the following order of preference (copy-paste from bin/foamEtcFile):

1. $HOME/.${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}/$version
2. $HOME/.${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}
3. $prefixDir/site/$version
4. $prefixDir/site
5. $prefixDir/openfoam$versionNum/etc <- for Debian/Ubuntu
   $prefixDir/${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}-$version/etc <- standard build

Lets see:

• prefixDir - it's the parent folder of the bin folder where foamEtcFile resides.
• WM_PROJECT - this variable is usually set to OpenFOAM.

Simply translating, e.g. 1.7.x it searches in these folders:

1. ~/.OpenFOAM/1.7.x
2. ~/.OpenFOAM/
3. ~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.7.x/site/1.7.x
4. ~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.7.x/site
5. /opt/openfoam171/etc <- Debian/Ubuntu for 1.7.1
   ~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.7.x/etc <- standard build

• For more informations about prefs.sh, you can find examples here:
  • For OpenFOAM 1.6/7.x: etc/prefs.sh-EXAMPLE
  • For OpenFOAM 2.0.x: etc/config/example/prefs.sh

So, to sum up, you can create this file "~/.OpenFOAM/1.7.x/prefs.sh" and/or this one "~/.OpenFOAM/2.0.x/prefs.sh" with something like this:

export FOAM_INST_DIR=/mnt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-version
export WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR=$FOAM_INST_DIR
export WM_PROJECT_DIR=$WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/$WM_PROJECT-$WM_PROJECT_VERSION
export WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR=$HOME/$WM_PROJECT/$USER-$WM_PROJECT_VERSION
export WM_THIRD_PARTY_DIR=$WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/ThirdParty-$WM_PROJECT_VERSION

You can change where WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR points to...


Finally, add this to your "~/.bashrc" file (don't forget to remove/comment other lines in there related to OpenFOAM, if they aren't using alias):

alias of20x='source /mnt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-2.0.x/etc/bashrc'

________________________________


OK, I probably lost you somewhere... this is an easier way to do the same thing and should be compatible with both versions so add this to your "~/.bashrc" file (don't forget to remove/comment other lines in there related to OpenFOAM, if they aren't using alias):

alias of20x='export FOAM_INST_DIR=/mnt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-2.0.x; source $FOAM_INST_DIR/etc/bashrc WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR=$FOAM_INST_DIR/myarea'

Then whenever you want OpenFOAM ready at your finger tips, run of20x.

I'm sorry for making things look confusing... but I think it's all explained now

Best regards,
Bruno

[olesen]

Originally Posted by wyldckat

...

• This file can reside in one of the following places, with the following order of preference (copy-paste from bin/foamEtcFile):

1. $HOME/.${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}/$version
2. $HOME/.${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}
3. $prefixDir/site/$version
4. $prefixDir/site
5. $prefixDir/openfoam$versionNum/etc <- for Debian/Ubuntu
   $prefixDir/${WM_PROJECT:-OpenFOAM}-$version/etc <- standard build

...

For those wishing to supply site-wide solvers/libraries, the suggested location would normally be the $FOAM_SITE_APPBIN and $FOAM_SITE_LIBBIN directories. We normally compile into $FOAM_USER_APPBIN, $FOAM_USER_LIBBIN, do some testing and then use rsync to sync to the corresponding $FOAM_SITE_APPBIN and $FOAM_SITE_LIBBIN directories.

Note that these site directories are normally located below $WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/site, but as of OpenFOAM-2.0 the env variable $WM_PROJECT_SITE can be used to specify another location as desired.

[lindstroem]

Dear Bruno,

thanks for the very detailed and well explained answer!

Concerning the first part: Yes I did change these paths but still I got some write-permission errors. I can't post them right now, as we now installed it locally, but at least I know it should actually work as I thought. I'll try it again, when the Admin is back. Thanks for the hint!

OK, I probably lost you somewhere...

No I'm glad you didn't! As I also work with different OF versions and use several bash-scripts I totally understood what you mean but I did not know about the possibility to give an order of preferences where he should search.

You really helped me a lot!

And thank you as well olesen for your hint!

Best regards
Lindstroem