Computers and software

Various software and computer changes have occurred in the past few months. Below I list the most relevant things for regular observers.

• The problems with the CD carousel have now finally been traced to a problem with the media. The current CDs we are using are not precisely the ones that are specified for the carousel, but the limited amount of errors can be handled by software. This is only a recent development, and the carousel is expected to be back in operation in the near future

• The observers `reduction' computer (`florence') was replaced with a modern computer, and the installation includes now most software used by astronomers (IRAF, MIDAS, ghostview, acroread, etc.)

• A new observer terminal was introduced featuring a double TFT flat screen display

• A post-processing/quicklook system was designed and is being tested for spectroscopic data taken with ALFOSC. This system allows the images that has been produced by BIAS to be processed in various ways set by IRAF tasks coupled to the system

  In principle this system can be extended to include any type of post-processing of data produced by BIAS (e.g., bias subtraction and flat fielding of imaging data, slit alignment procedures, etc.)

• Some experiments were made with DVDs for data saving. We have been able to burn DVDs with astronomical data, but the software is far from stable. There is an on-going development in the open-source community which makes any definite choice difficult for the moment