
                              FAQ for Netlib
                      netlib_maintainers@netlib.org


   
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Table of Contents

1)  General
    1.1)  What is this FAQ for?
    1.2)  Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?
    1.3)  Where should I send comments and corrections for this FAQ?
    1.4)  What is Netlib Question and Answer Forum?

2)  Netlib
    2.1)  What is Netlib?
    2.2)  How do I retrieve software or documents from Netlib?
    2.3)  Are there restrictions on the use of software retrieved
		from Netlib?
    2.4)  How do I submit software or documents to Netlib?	
    2.5)  Where are the Netlib mirror sites?
    2.6)  Which sites use the Netlib email server to distribute other
		types of software?
    2.7)  Where can I find more information about Netlib?
    2.8)  What is Xnetlib?
    2.9)  How do I find a particular routine?
    2.10)  How do I find software to solve a particular problem?
    2.11) I can't get a program to work.  What should I do?
    2.12) Where can I find documentation for a particular program?
    2.13) What is dependency checking and how does it work?
    2.14) I requested some software but didn't get all the routines
		I needed.  Why?
    2.15) What and where are the BLAS?
    2.16) Why don't I get needed BLAS automatically when I select 
		LAPACK routines?
    2.17) What and where are r1mach, d1mach, and i1mach?
    2.18) How can I unpack foo.tar.z?
    2.19) How can I unpack foo.tgz?
    2.20) Does Netlib offer technical support?
    2.21) Can I download all/lots of the Netlib repository?
    2.22) How can I become a Netlib site?
    2.23) How can I use the Netlib program to run my own repository?
    2.24) What if I have other questions about Netlib?

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1)  General

------------------------------

    1.1)  What is this FAQ for?

To provide basic introductory information and answers to frequently
asked questions about Netlib.

------------------------------

    1.2)  Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?

The most recent version of this FAQ can be retrieved from
	http://www.netlib.org/misc/faq.html
or
	ftp://ftp.netlib.org/misc/faq

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    1.3)  Where should I send comments and corrections for this FAQ?

Send email to netlib_maintainers@netlib.org.

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    1.4)  What is Netlib Question and Answer Forum?

Netlib Question and Answer Forum is bulletin board moderated by
netlib group . Feel free to post, answer, and discuss questions
of other people. 
------------------------------
 
2)  Netlib

------------------------------

    2.1) What is Netlib?  

The Netlib repository contains freely available software, documents,
and databases of interest to the numerical, scientific computing, and
other communities. The repository is maintained by AT&T Bell
Laboratories, the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, and by colleagues world-wide.  The collection is
replicated at several sites around the world, automatically
synchronized, to provide reliable and network efficient service to the
global community.

------------------------------

    2.2)  How do I retrieve software or documents from Netlib?

Mechanisms include the World Wide Web (WWW), email, ftp, gopher, xnetlib,
and cd-rom:

        (a)  World Wide Web (WWW)

		Point your WWW browser to
			http://www.netlib.org/

	(b)  email

	        Send the message
			send index
		to 
			netlib@netlib.org 
		to receive a contents summary and instructions.
			
	(c)  ftp

		Anonymous ftp to
			ftp.netlib.org

	(d)  gopher

		Point your gopher browser to
			gopher.netlib.org

	(e)  xnetlib

		See Question 2.7.

	(f) cd-rom

       Netlib (other than toms) is available on CD-ROM from 

       Prime Time Freeware
       370 Altair Way, Suite 150
       Sunnyvale, CA 94086, USA
       http://www.ptf.com/
       info@ptf.com
       Tel: +1 408-433-9662; Fax: +1 408-433-0727

       and from 

       Walnut Creek CDROM
       4041 Pike Lane, Ste D-902
       Concord CA 94520, USA
       http://www.cdrom.com/
       orders@cdrom.com
       Tel: +1 800-786-9907; Fax: +1 510-674-0821

       Both companies have done an excellent job. The PTF version uses
       compressed tar files and therefore has room to combine netlib
       with other mathematical and statistical freeware. The Walnut
       Creek version focuses exclusively on netlib and unpacks
       everything for greater convenience of reading. Walnut Creek has
       generously offered a review copy of their disk to authors who
       have contributed code to netlib.

       Although much of the collection is quite stable, there are parts
       that change or for some reason did not make it onto the
       CD-ROMs.  When in doubt, check www.netlib.org or netlib.bell-labs.com
       for the latest version.

------------------------------

    2.3) Are there restrictions on the use of software
		 retrieved from Netlib?

Most netlib software packages have no restrictions on their use but we
recommend you check with the authors to be sure.  Checking with the
authors is a nice courtesy anyway since many authors like to know how
their codes are being used.

------------------------------

    2.4)  How do I submit software or documents to Netlib?	

Direct inqueries to netlib_maintainers@netlib.org

------------------------------

    2.5)  Where are the Netlib mirror sites?

See
	http://www.netlib.org/bib/mirrors.html
for the list of official Netlib mirror sites.


------------------------------

    2.6)  Which sites use the Netlib email server to distribute other
		types of software?

A collection of statistical software is available from
          statlib@temper.stat.cmu.edu

The TeX User Group distributes TeX-related software from
          tuglib@math.utah.edu 

The symbolic algebra system REDUCE is supported by
          reduce-netlib@rand.org

Parallel software and information about parallel processing
is available from
          parlib@hubcap.clemson.edu

Dozens of other specialized sites also use the processor, which 
can be found in /netlib/misc/netlib .
------------------------------

    2.7)  Where can I find more information about Netlib?

A collection of working notes related to the Netlib repository
is available at 
	http://www.netlib.org/srwn/

------------------------------

    2.8)  What is Xnetlib?

Xnetlib is an X Window System application that provides interactive
file access and database query processing from multiple servers
through TCP/IP connections. Xnetlib currently provides access to the
Netlib software and document repository and the NA-NET Whitepages
Database.

The last release of Xnetlib was version 1.3.  Since its release, most
of its capabilites have been superceded by World Wide Web browsers like
Mosiac or Netscape.  Since most of the efforts at Netlib are presently
geared more towards the World Wide Web, we recommend using a WWW
browser.

------------------------------

    2.9)  How do I find a particular routine?

The most powerful search capabilities in Netlib are provided through the
interface at
	http://www.netlib.org/utk/misc/netlib_query.html
One way to search for a particular routine, say "foo", would be to submit
the search query "file=foo".

The Netlib email interface has a similar capability.  Send the email message
"find foo" to netlib@netlib.org or another Netlib site.

------------------------------

    2.10)  How do I find software to solve a particular problem?

One way is to identify appropriate keywords and then use the Web search
interface at
	http://www.netlib.org/utk/misc/netlib_query.html
or the "find" feature of the Netlib email interface and send the email message
to netlib@netlib.org or another Netlib site.  

The GAMS mathematical software classification system enables users to
find suitable software by browsing the problem hierarchy.  You can use
GAMS from the search interface or by linking to
	http://www.netlib.org/gams.html
or
	http://gams.nist.gov/
Send the message "send gams from bib" to netlib@netlib.org to
retrieve the GAMS classification by email.

Another way is to browse the Netlib libraries list and to identify libraries
appropriate to your problem.  You can then browse the contents of these
individual libraries.  Using a Web interface, look at
	http://www.netlib.org/liblist.html
Using an email interface, send the message "send index" to netlib@netlib.org
or another Netlib site to receive a descriptive list of the libraries in
Netlib.  Send the message "send index for foo" to receive the index for
library foo.


------------------------------

    2.11) I can't get a program to work.  What should I do?

Technical questions about the proper use of a software package should
be directed to the authors of that package.

------------------------------

    2.12) Where can I find documentation for a particular program?

Documentation for a particular software package generally comes with
the software bundle or resides in the same directory as the software.
Note that much of the software in Netlib is self-documenting - the
comments in the code provide all the documentation you need.

------------------------------

    2.13) What is dependency checking and how does it work?

Dependency checking is Netlib's mechanism for sending routines called
by those routines a user has explicitly selected.  A single request
for the highest level routine should therefore get all the routines a
user needs.

Dependencies are generated from a script that looks at the load
map for each software package.  A manually edited file tells Netlib
which directories to scan for dependent routines.

------------------------------

    2.14) I requested some software but didn't get all the routines
		I needed.  Why?

Send email to netlib_maintainers@netlib.org describing the behavior.


------------------------------

    2.15) What and where are the BLAS?

The BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms) are high quality
"building block" routines for performing basic vector and matrix
operations.  Level 1 BLAS do vector-vector operations, Level 2
BLAS do matrix-vector operations, and Level 3 BLAS do
matrix-matrix operations.  Because the BLAS are efficient,
portable, and widely available, they're commonly used in the
development of high quality linear algebra software, LINPACK
and LAPACK for example.  

The BLAS are located in the blas directory of Netlib.

------------------------------

    2.16) Why don't I get needed BLAS automatically when I select 
		LAPACK routines?

LAPACK is designed especially for high-performance computing so the
LAPACK group prefers that users use tuned vendor-supplied BLAS
whenever possible.

------------------------------

    2.17) What and where are r1mach, d1mach, and i1mach?

These routines are used to specify machine-dependent parameters such
as your machine's precision.  They're used by several packages, most
commonly to ensure that tolerances used in the software is reasonable
for a particular machine.  

The easiest to use versions of the routines r1mach, d1mach, and i1mach 
are located in the blas directory of Netlib.  These versions of r1mach
and d1mach attempt to determine machine characteristics automatically.

The original versions of r1mach, d1mach, and i1mach, in the slatec/src
directory, require a user to scan their source and to uncomment the
statements specifying the constants for his particular machine.
Constants for some architectures are not explicitly identified in the
comments of r1mach, d1mach, and i1mach.  For those architectures
conforming to the IEEE floating-point standard, and most newer ones
do, you can locate and uncomment the IEEE-conforming constants in the
routines.


------------------------------

    2.18) How can I unpack foo.tar.z?

	mv foo.tar.z foo.tar.Z
	uncompress foo.tar.Z
	tar xvf foo.tar

------------------------------

    2.19) How can I unpack foo.tgz?

        gunzip foo.tgz
	tar xvf foo.tar

Windows users can obtain WinZip from www.winzip.com which knows how
to handle tgz files.

------------------------------

    2.20) Does Netlib offer technical support?

No.  Technical questions should be directed to the authors of the
software package.

------------------------------

    2.21) Can I download all/lots of the Netlib repository?

Yes.  Note however that downloading software that isn't going to be
used right away tends to waste time and space.  When you're finally
ready to use it you may end up downloading it again from Netlib just
be sure you have the latest version.  For this same reason,
downloading all of Netlib's software and storing it someplace is not
the best way to build a local software repository.

------------------------------

    2.22) How can I become a Netlib mirror site?

First check the list of mirror sites (Question 2.5) to see if an
existing Netlib site could meet your needs.  Then read the policy on
becoming a Netlib mirror site at
	http://www.netlib.org/bib/mirrors.html.
Direct inquiries to netlib_maintainers@netlib.org.

See the contents of the directory /netlib/crc for technical information 
on mirroring.

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    2.23) How can I use the Netlib program to run my own repository?

You can retrieve the source code for the Netlib email system from the
"netlib" directory of the Netlib repository.  For example, to retrieve
the Netlib program by email send the message
	send netlib from netlib
to netlib@netlib.org.

------------------------------

    2.24) What if I have other questions about Netlib?

The srwn directory contains papers that may be of assistance.
Point your Web browser to
	http://www.netlib.org/srwn/
or send the message
	send index from srwn
to
	netlib@netlib.org

Send your questions to netlib_maintainers@netlib.org.	

------------------------------

-- 
netlib_maintainers@netlib.org
URL: http://www.netlib.org/utk/icl/maintainers.html

