First time using CERN libraries - help

[beamerxl]

I am starting a new particle physics class that requires us to use the CERN program libraries (http://cernlib.web.cern.ch/cernlib/" ). I've been to the website and am quite lost. I don't know what files I need to get from the website, or how to implement them into a program. It's been about three years since I've used FORTRAN, and even then the class I took was very basic (we never covered anything about how to incorporate program libraries). It also seems to be implied that I will need a UNIX/Linux workstation to do this, which I could access through our physics department, though I have never used UNIX/Linux before either, so if it is possible to do this on my Vista64 or Mac, that would be preferred.

Our first assignment is some basic random number generation, though I'm sure we will be tackling harder problems as the semester goes on.

Can anyone with experience in FORTRAN, UNIX/Linux, or CERNLIB offer some help? Basically, my primary questions are:

• Can I do this in Vista64/Mac or do I need to get an account on our Linux machine?
• If I need to use UNIX/Linux, what do I need to know to get started with a programming assignment?
• What files do I need to download from the CERNLIB website, and what do I do with them?
• How would I go about integrating these functions into a FORTRAN program?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

 

[shoehorn]

I haven't used CERNLIB before but I can't quite understand why you've got difficulty in figuring out what to do. Right there on the CERNLIB front page is a downloads link, together with the rather helpful statement

The recommended way to install CERNLIB is from the preinstalled distribution kits but it is also possible to INSTALL it from the source files.

Clicking on the link, one finds that there exist clearly indicated precompiled binaries of the CERNLIB libraries for all manner of platforms, including Windows and OS X. This is precisely what you want. Indeed, the installation instructions at the top of the page are for Windows XP.

As to how you go about actually using the libraries, a good place to start would be to read the documentation, all of which is on the project homepage.