next up previous contents
Next: Source Code Style Guide Up: Changing the configure script Previous: Adding new configuration options   Contents

Adding support for a new architecture

If a new OS type or machine architecture is to be supported, follow these steps:

  1. Select a string name for it, upper-case if possible and specifying the OS version number, i.e., ``IRIX5''.
  2. Add this string as a configuration option in the OSTYPE category in the configure script.
  3. When the Makefile is created, a section of settings are written out for the particular OS type selected which specify the compiler name, compiler options, and names of utility programs needed to do things such as file copy, etc. A new section must be entered into the configure script for the new architecture, and this section should be written to the Makefile when the respective OS type is selected for configuration.
  4. The startup script used to run VMD must check for this OS type in order to run the proper executable when VMD is launched. Edit the file vmd in the bin directory (this script is entered into the RCS system) to check for the OS type.


next up previous contents
Next: Source Code Style Guide Up: Changing the configure script Previous: Adding new configuration options   Contents
vmd@ks.uiuc.edu