Download Insectoids

Insectoids is written in Java and therefore requires a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run.  If you have the JRE already installed on your machine, please check its version number.  In a command shell on IRIX or NT, type

java -version

You must see something like

java version "1.1.6"

Please note that Insectoids will run reliably in JREs whose version number is greater than 1.1.3.  Insectoids will not run in JREs whose version is 1.0.2. 

If you dont have a JRE on your machine, install it before proceeding further.  You can follow these links to get the latest JREs for IRIX and Windows NT

The new Java Foundation Classes library was used to develop the GUI for Insectoids.  Sun Microsystems grants license to distribute the JFC binaries provided they are credited properly.  I hereby declare that the Java Foundation Classes library was developed by Sun Microsystems.

To have Insectoids properly installed on your system, you need to download the following files

Installation Instructions

A. If you are running IRIX

I assume that you have installed the JRE in the directory /usr/java.  To access the Java Interpreter required for running Insectoids, you need to setup the path variable to include the java binaries in /usr/java/bin.   The path variable may be defined in the .login or .cshrc file.  Regardless of this, we will add /usr/java/bin to the path variable in the .cshrc file.  We will also set other variables required for running Insectoids in the .cshrc file .  Therefore, type the following in some free space before the end of the .cshrc file:

setenv EFX_RND_SOFTWARE  "${HOME}/efx_rnd_software"
setenv INSECTOIDS_HOME  "${EFX_RND_SOFTWARE}/insectoids"
setenv CLASSPATH  ".:${INSECTOIDS_HOME}/insectoids.jar:${EFX_RND_SOFTWARE}/swingall.jar:${CLASSPATH}"
set path = (${path} /usr/java/bin ${EFX_RND_SOFTWARE}/bin)

Save the updated .cshrc, exit your text editor and type,

login aw  [ I assume that you work in Alias from the login aw]

Once logged in, type

echo $path.  You will find that /usr/java/bin is appended to the set of all directories already listed on the path variable.

Type java now.  The Java Interpreter must startup.  It will print a message indicating that it requires more arguments.  Dont worry about this now, the point is that your Java environment is up and running.

Now, create a directory called /usr/people/aw/efx_rnd_software/ and extract the contents of swingall.gz in it.  If you use gzip -d swingall.gz you will get a file called swingall.   Rename it to swingall.jar.  The point here is that whatever file you get, it must be called swingall.jar.   

In the same directory, extract the contents of insectoids.tgz.  You will find two subdirectories insectoids and bin .  cd to the bin directory and type

chmod +x *  

Now type

login aw

Once logged in, type insectoids

Insectoids must start running.  Please refer the user guide for information on how to use Insectoids.  Enjoy!

B.  If you are running Windows NT

I assume that you have installed the JRE in the directory C:\java. 

Double-click the System icon inside the Control Panel. When the System Properties dialog box opens, place the following variables in the lower list box, which is labeled "User Variables".

Create a directory called C:\EFX_RND_SOFTWARE\ and extract the contents (using WinZip) of swingall.gz in it.  You should find the file swingall.jar.   If not, boldly rename  whatever file that is there to swingall.jar In the same directory, extract the contents of insectoids.tgz. You will find two subdirectories -- insectoids and bin.  

To launch Insectoids, from the Windows Start menu or from the Control Panel, open a console (MS-DOS-style) window.  In it type

insectoids

Insectoids must start running.  Please refer the user guide for more information on using Insectoids.  Enjoy!