Updates to FAQ

The FAQ will now be available on the Web Pages


git-svn-id: http://svn.cactuscode.org/flesh/trunk@1403 17b73243-c579-4c4c-a9d2-2d5706c11dac

1 files changed, 73 insertions, 40 deletions

diff --git a/doc/FAQ b/doc/FAQ
index 95f62b79..1829c333 100644
--- a/doc/FAQ
+++ b/doc/FAQ
@@ -1,59 +1,92 @@
-# /*@@
-#   @file      FAQ
-#   @date      Thu Jun 24 11:06:01 1999
-#   @author    Tom Goodale
-#   @desc 
-#   Some useful info.
-#   @enddesc
-#   @version $Header: /mnt/data2/cvs2svn/cvs-repositories/Cactus/doc/FAQ,v 1.5 1999-11-28 19:57:15 goodale Exp $ 
-# @@*/
 
+Cactus Code Frequently Asked Questions
 
-1) The make system says "Checking status of libXXX.a" and then just sits there.  What
-can I do ?
+$Header: /mnt/data2/cvs2svn/cvs-repositories/Cactus/doc/FAQ,v 1.6 2000-02-28 12:24:42 allen Exp $
 
-The first thing to do whenever a problem arises from the make system is to run with
-the "SILENT=no" option.
+The latest version of this FAQ is always available from the main Cactus Code web
+site at <http://www.cactuscode.org/Documentation/FAQ
 
-In this case, 'though, first check that the clocks on the machine on which you are 
-editing files and the clock on the machine you are compiling on are synchronised.  If
-the compilation machine's clock is slow, then the newly made dependency files will
-still be `older' than the file you edited, and the system will loop until this 
-situation changes.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+1) The make system says "Checking status of libXXX.a" and then just 
+   sits there.  What can I do ?
 
-2) I get 
-  identifier "DECLARE_CCTK_PARAMETERS" is undefined
-  DECLARE_CCTK_PARAMETERS
-  ^
-  Why ?
+   The first thing to do whenever a problem arises from the make system 
+   is to run with the "SILENT=no" option.
 
-You have to include the header: #include "cctk_parameters.h"
+   In this case, 'though, first check that the clocks on the machine on 
+   which you are editing files and the clock on the machine you are compiling 
+   on are synchronised.  If the compilation machine's clock is slow, then the 
+   newly made dependency files will still be `older' than the file you edited, 
+   and the system will loop until this situation changes.
 
-3) I get 'g77: cannot specify -o with -c or -S and multiple compilations' when compiling with 
-the Pacific VAST90 compiler.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-If the libvast90.a library is in the same directory as your F90 script, F90 passes -lvast90 to
-the underlying G77 compile, which is of course only a valid switch when linking.  The solution
-is to seperate these files, e.g. into bin and lib directories.
+2) Compilation of Cactus fails with the error:
+	 identifier "DECLARE_CCTK_PARAMETERS" is undefined?
 
-4) Why do I have to use e.g. "mpirun -np 1 ./exe/cactus_myconfig -O" to see the compiled
-   parameters, can't the parameters be output before MPI is initialised?
+   You have to include the header: 
+	#include "cctk_Parameters.h"
 
-Alas some MPIs add their own command-line options, so we need to do MPI_Init before
-parsing the command line, or parse it twice, once before the MPI_Init and once after,
-to detect invalid options.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+3) I get 'g77: cannot specify -o with -c or -S and multiple compilations' when 
+   compiling with the Pacific VAST90 compiler.
+
+   If the libvast90.a library is in the same directory as your F90 script, F90 passes 
+   -lvast90 to the underlying G77 compile, which is of course only a valid switch 
+   when linking.  The solution is to seperate these files, e.g. into bin and lib 
+   directories.
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+4) Why do I have to use e.g. "mpirun -np 1 ./exe/cactus_myconfig -O" to see the 
+   compiled parameters, can't the parameters be output before MPI is initialised?
+
+   Alas some MPIs add their own command-line options, so we need to do MPI_Init 
+   before parsing the command line, or parse it twice, once before the MPI_Init and 
+   once after, to detect invalid options.
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 5) Parallel make sometimes fails.
 
-It seems that the make program sometimes gets confused in parallel makes.
-Just doing gmake <config> again will let it continue.  You should be able
-to continue with another parallel make afterwards.
+   It seems that the make program sometimes gets confused in parallel makes.
+   Just doing gmake <config> again will let it continue.  You should be able
+   to continue with another parallel make afterwards.
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 6) When doing a cvs update I get 'not enough slashes in ...' .
 
-It seems that CVS sometimes gets confused with multiple modules.  Moving into
-the arrangements directory and doing another 'cvs update', followed by a final
-one in the toplevel directory should complete your update.
+   It seems that CVS sometimes gets confused with multiple modules.  Check that you 
+   are using the latest version of CVS, otherwise moving into the arrangements 
+   directory and performing another 'cvs update', followed by a final one in the 
+   toplevel directory should complete your update.
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+7) How do I compile with MPI? Why isn't it automatic like in Cactus 3?
+              
+   The standard MPI driver (PUGH) is in a thorn now (CactusPUGH/PUGH), so there is 
+   now the possibility to add other parallel drivers using alternative message passing 
+   schemes as separate thorns. To compile with MPI, when you make a configuration, 
+   use
+
+   gmake <configuration>-config MPI=<MPI_TYPE> 
+
+   where the allowed values of MPI_TYPE are discussed in the documentation. For 
+   machines where Cactus 3 used to use MPI by default, the correct option is 
+   probably MPI=NATIVE 
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+8) I can't compile because the compiler complains that a routine name has been 
+   previously defined ... but I can't find it repeated?
 
+   If it is a C routine, whose name is either all in capitals or all in lowercase, 
+   and the routine has a Fortran wrapper, then it could be that the compiler doesn't
+   attach underscores to the Fortran name and there is a conflict. To remove this
+   possibility always use mixed case names for C routines with Fortran wrappers.
+   
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------