Compiling with localmake

For Antelope versions 4.11 and above (this may work with 4.10 but no promises), there is a pair of new utilities called localmake_config(1) and localmake(1). These are designed to make simpler the process of compiling segments of Antelope contrib that depend on code outside Antelope (canonical examples might be the Antelope Toolbox for Matlab, which depends on the Matlab program from The MathWorks, and the Antelope Python Interface, which depends on your locally installed Python interpreter).

The following instructions assume that you have downloaded the latest Antelope-contrib code onto your machine according to the instructions in Home and placed the repository in the standard location

$ANTELOPE/src/contrib

If you have the source-code in a non-standard location, you can still use these tools, however you will have to modify parameter-files accordingly (and may have to read the localmake(1) and localmake_config(1) man pages).

Now that that’s taken care of, we can use the localmake(1) and localmake_config(1) automated build and configuration tools. To begin, try typing

% localmake

This should bring up a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which looks approximately like this:

Each one of the buttons initiates compilation and installation of the named set of Antelope-contrib software tools. For example, the antelope_matlab button compiles and installs the Antelope Toolbox for Matlab, and the antelope_python button compiles and installs the Antelope Python interface. More than likely (unless you’ve already run these tools before), the compilation attempt will bring up messages about needing to configure your system with the localmake_config(1) utility. localmake_config(1) helps you tell the Antelope-contrib compile structure where software elements external to Antelope are located on your system, and helps you set compile-time macros appropriate for the links you want to establish (where the Matlab main directory is located; which Python interpreter and Python include libraries to use; etc.). You can launch the localmake_config(1) program either by typing its name on the command line

% localmake_config

or by hitting the Run localmake_config button in the localmake(1) GUI window. The resulting localmake_config(1) GUI should look something like this (the snapshot here shows the GUI after I’ve already made some customizations for my local system):

Each distinct linkage between the Antelope contributed-code and external software utilities is considered a capability. Generally, for each capability you wish to use, you will need to do two things in localmake_config(1): first, enable the capability with the GUI button; second, fill in any associated macros with values appropriate for your system. After you’ve made changes in the localmake_config(1) GUI, make sure to hit the big yellow save configuration button at the top to save your configuration! (The save configuration button is greyed out in the screenshot above, since no changes had been made since the last save).

After you run localmake_config(1) to configure your local system, you should be able to compile the desired subsections of Antelope-contrib with the localmake(1) utility. For example, the screenshot below shows localmake(1) in the process of compiling the Antelope Python interface:

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For further details, see the man-page documentation on localmake_config(1) and localmake(1). If desired, these utilities may be run entirely via the command-line interface, and configured via text edits to local parameter files.