HowTo: Scientific Ubuntu - Installing OpenFOAM CFD software

[derjames]

I was having a look at Openfoam.org and they say that OpenFoam 1.4 is the testing stage (alpha) so it seems it will be available soon to download... As soon is available I will post any news... cheers

[arkangel]

Any idea how to compile it on 64bit ?

[in_flu_ence]

I have tried to install OpenFoam but apparently that what I have gotten when I did my FoamInstallationTest and FoamX

influence@inlapence:~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/bin$ foamInstallationTest
Executing /home/influence/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/bin/foamInstallationTest:


Checking basic setup...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shell:              bash
Host:               inlapence
OS:                 Linux version 2.6.17-10-generic
User:               influence
User_config:        /home/influence/.bashrc
Foam_config:        /home/influence/.OpenFOAM-1.3/bashrc sourced correctly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking main FOAM env variables...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environment_variable Set_to_file_or_directory                Valid      Crit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR /home/influence/OpenFOAM                 yes       yes
$WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR /home/influence/OpenFOAM/influence-1.3   yes       no
$FOAM_JOB_DIR        /home/influence/OpenFOAM/jobControl      no        yes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking the FOAM env variables set on the PATH...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environment_variable Set_to_file_or_directory                Valid Path Crit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$WM_PROJECT_DIR      /home/influence/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3    yes  yes  yes

$FOAM_USER_APPBIN    ...-1.3/applications/bin/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  no
$FOAM_APPBIN         ...-1.3/applications/bin/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  yes
$WM_DIR              ...nfluence/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/wmake  yes  yes  yes
$FOAMX_PATH          ...ations/utilities/preProcessing/FoamX  yes   no  yes
$CEI_HOME            /usr/local/ensight/CEI                   no        no

$JAVA_PATH           ...fluence/OpenFOAM/linux/j2sdk1.4.2_05  yes  yes  no
$MICO_ARCH_PATH      ...mico-2.3.11/platforms/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  yes
$LAM_ARCH_PATH       ...c/lam-7.1.1/platforms/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  yes
$MPICH_ARCH_PATH     --------- env variable not set ---------            no
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking the FOAM env variables set on the LD_LIBRARY_PATH...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environment_variable Set_to_file_or_directory                Valid Path Crit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$FOAM_LIBBIN         ...FOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/lib/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  yes
$FOAM_USER_LIBBIN    ...OAM/influence-1.3/lib/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  no
$LAM_ARCH_PATH       ...c/lam-7.1.1/platforms/linuxGcc4DPOpt  yes  yes  yes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Software versions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Software Version   Location 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gcc      4.1.0     /home/influence/OpenFOAM/linux/gcc-4.1.0/bin/gcc         
java     1.4.2_05  /home/influence/OpenFOAM/linux/j2sdk1.4.2_05/bin/java    
gzip     1.3.5     /bin/gzip                                                
tar      1.3.5     /bin/tar                                                 
icoFoam            ...M/OpenFOAM-1.3/applications/bin/linuxGcc4DPOpt/icoFoam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking file/directory permissions...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
File/directory                                    Set  Reqd Crit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking networking...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action                   Result                                       Crit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinging_inlapence        No_entry_for_"inlapence"_in_/etc/hosts       yes 
WARNING: CRITICAL ERROR

Pinging_localHost        Successful                                   yes 
Test_rsh:                Not_active*                                  yes
Test_ssh:                Not_active*                                  yes
FATAL ERROR: No remote shell available.
             Foam1.3 enviroment requires either ssh and/or rsh.
             Contact your system administrator.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The system test has evoked 1 fatal error(s).

The foam installation contains 1 critical error(s).

Review the output for warning messages and consult 
the installation guide for trouble shooting.

influence@inlapence:~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/bin$ FoamX
Starting NameServer with inet:inlapence:1234 ...
uncaught MICO exception: IDL:omg.org/CORBA/INITIALIZE:1.0 (0, not-completed)

Any help? (I have followed the steps as the wiki but somethings seems to be wrong)

[in_flu_ence]

I did somehow solved the CORBR problem by changing the hostname in /etc/hosts

This was from the OpenFOAM forum.

These problems are always one of the following:
- the hostname is not set ('localhost' is not acceptable to Corba)
- the hostname is not (or twice) in /etc/hosts
- only the truncated name is present in /etc/hosts
- some port opening problem due to security

[arkangel]

do you have a ssh service running ?

try with
# ssh "user"@localhost

you should login in your own computer

[in_flu_ence]

Install perfectly into 64bit Kubuntu. Straight forward how-to.

Just wonder if I can use the /usr/bin/gcc & the java1.5 rather than having another copy of java in the disk

Also wonder on how to get paraview 2.6 rather than the given 2.4.2.

Solutions will be great.

[in_flu_ence]

For those who would like to use the system installed gcc and java, I have done the following by editing the ~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.3/.bashrc (where ~ refers to your home path, e.g. /home/username)

Edit the following lines (the bold part)

if [ "$WM_COMPILER" = "Gcc4" ]; then
    export WM_COMPILER_DIR=/usr$WM_COMPILER_ARCH
    WM_COMPILER_BIN="$WM_COMPILER_DIR/bin:$WM_COMPILER_DIR/../gdb-6.4/bin"
    WM_COMPILER_LIB=$WM_COMPILER_DIR/lib${WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH}:$WM_COMPILER_DIR/lib:

&

# Java
# ~~~~

# Linux workstation
# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
if [ "$machineTest" = "Linux" ]; then

    export JAVA_HOME=/usr

    processor=`uname -m`

    if [ "$processor" = "ia64" ]; then
        export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2
    fi

With this, I can delete the gcc and java folders that were unzippd to the /linux folder or for those going to install, you don't have to download that two package.

Hope it helps.

If someone else has tested this, I guess we can edit the wiki to reflect the changes.

[derjames]

Hello Folks...

OpenFOAM 1.4 has been released... THe good news is that the installation procedure is exactly the same as the version 1.3...

I am doing just some minors corrections to the HOWTO

cheers

J

[in_flu_ence]

Any idea how to upgrade from 1.3 to 1.4 or a clean removal of 1.3 before 1.4 is installed.

To me, i think it is just removing all the files. but i might be wrong.

[derjames]

Any idea how to upgrade from 1.3 to 1.4 or a clean removal of 1.3 before 1.4 is installed.

To me, i think it is just removing all the files. but i might be wrong.

What i did was to backup the USERNAME-1.3 folder, then i did a fresh install. at the end a just renamed the folder to USERNAME-1.4

I think this is right...