ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: Scisoft -- A Collection of Astronomical Software for ESO Users
Volume: 281, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XI
Page: 505
Authors: Hook, Richard N.; Maguire, Kevin; Pirzkal, Norbert; Filippi, Giorgio
Abstract: The European Southern Observatory operates four geographically separated sites, the headquarters in Germany and an office and two observatories at separate remote locations in Chile. Staff astronomers, fellows, students and visitors are active at all four sites and need appropriate software tools. In the past these requirements were addressed by local computer management staff in response to requests. This resulted in different tools being available at different sites, often in different versions and with different levels of support. These differences often resulted in inconvenience, particularly for visitors. In an attempt to address these problems a project called ``Scisoft" was established within ESO. Scisoft has put together a standardized collection of software in three versions covering the supported computer platforms within the organization - Solaris, HP-UX and Linux. The contents of the collection are determined by the demands of users at all sites and standardized for each release which occurs at intervals of about 6 months. External releases of a slightly restricted collection are now also available.
Back to Volume