## Identifying your system ##
We'll assume you're using either Mac OS X, or Windows, or Linux.
+If you're running **iOS**, you'll have a much harder time (perhaps impossible,
+perhaps not) getting this software to run on your machine, and we can't give
+you any guidance.
If you're using **Mac OS X**, take note of what version of the Mac OS you're
running. (Under the Apple Menu, select "About this Mac".)
* Mavericks (10.9)
* Yosemite (10.10)
-If you're running **iOS**, you probably can't use this software on that machine. (A bit more below.)
-
Furthermore, Mac users will be in one of two subgroups:
* You'll have Apple's Xcode and the independent MacPorts system
installed. (Probably you don't. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't have these.)
+
If you don't have these, but want to try this route, you can read about
the MacPorts system at <http://www.macports.org/>.
This automates the building of Unix-type software on your Mac; it
There are also other package management systems available for the Mac, notably Homebrew and Fink. I only know a little bit about them.
- Xcode is available at
- <http://developer.apple.com/technologies/tools/xcode.html>. Some
- versions of this have been available for free, though you do have to
- register with Apple as an "Apple Developer", which involves accepting a
- legal agreement with Apple. I have an older version of this installed.
- If you download a recent version, email me and let me know how the
- process works so I can tell others. There are instructions about how to
- get Xcode in the MacPorts installation guide.
+ There are instructions about how to get Xcode on the [Installing MacPorts](https://www.macports.org/install.php) page.
+ Some versions of [Xcode](http://developer.apple.com/xcode.html) are available for free on the Mac App Store.
+ Other versions are available through Apple's Developer website (some of these are free, but do require you to
+ register with Apple as an "Apple Developer", which involves clicking to accept a legal agreement with Apple.)
+ I have an older version of this installed. If you download a recent version, email me and let me know how the
+ process works so I can tell others.
<!--
- The latest version of Xcode to work with Leopard is 3.14; more recent versions (>= 3.2) require Snow Leopard.
+ The latest version of Xcode to work with 10.5 / Leopard is 3.14; more recent versions (>= 3.2) require 10.6 / Snow Leopard.
3.2.6 is last version that can be downloaded for free by users of 10.6 / Snow Leopard. (But if they pay, they can use up to Xcode 4.2.)
Xcode 4.1 was free to all users of 10.7 / Lion. Is Xcode 4.6.x still available for free? Are Xcode 5.x and/or 6.x available for free?
-->
If you're using **Windows**, you'll be in one of two subgroups:
-* You'll have the Cygwin system
- <http://www.cygwin.com/> installed.
+* You'll have the Cygwin system <http://www.cygwin.com/> installed.
This puts a Unix-like layer on top of your Windows system,
and makes it easier for you to use the same software everybody
else will be using, without its needing as much special-for-Windows
* We'll give examples using the packaging system shared by Debian and Ubuntu,
and we'll assume that those of you using different packaging systems will know
- how to make the relevant substitutions. You may also want to take note of the
- output of the "uname -srm" command. On my machine this tells me "Linux
- 3.12.8-extrastuff x86\_64". That tells me I'm running the x86\_64 (as opposed to the
- i686 or i386 or whatever) version of Linux, and that I'm running kernel
- version 3.12.8.
+ how to make the relevant substitutions.
-**For all of these groups**, a general item to take note of is what "processor architecture" your machine is running. Three of the possibilities are:
+**For everyone**, a general item to take note of is what "processor architecture" your machine is running. Three of the possibilities are:
* One of Intel's i386, i486, i586, i686 architectures. These are collectively known as "x86" or "IA-32" or sometimes just "32-bit".
-* Intel or AMD's x86\_64 architecture. This is sometimes also called "x64" or "amd64" or "IA-64" or sometimes just "64-bit".
+* Intel or AMD's x86\_64 architecture. This is also called "x64" or "amd64" or "IA-64" or sometimes just "64-bit". (Note that these *aren't* "x86" machines, even though "x86\_64" starts with those letters.)
* ARM or some other architecture. These are generally lower-powered machines, like iPads. Some of the software we're proposing *might* in principle be capable of running on such machines, but installers don't seem to be available. We'll assume you have access to an x86 or x86\_64 machine.
-In the Linux example above, I could tell my machine is running x86 because the
-result of the `uname` command said "i386" at the end. Another machine I have
-says "x86\_64" at the end. On a Mac, you can also say `uname -m` in a Terminal
-session, and it will say something like "i386". I think that Mac OS Xs from Lion
-/ 10.7 forward have all been x86\_64-only. On Windows, I don't know how to
-collect this information. But generally, machines running Windows XP will
-probably be i386/32-bit (unless it's a version of Windows with "64-bit" or
-"x64" in its title); machines running Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8
-could be running either x86/32-bit or x64/64-bit.
-(Update: I found
-[this Microsoft page](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/32-bit-and-64-bit-windows)
-that may help.)
+On Linux or Mac OS X, you can open a terminal and type `uname -m`. If the
+result is "x86\_64", then you've got x64/64-bit. If it's "i386" or something
+like that, then you've got x86/32-bit. I think that Mac OS Xs from 10.7 / Lion
+forward have all been x86\_64-only.
+
+On Windows,
+[here is a page that can help you figure this out](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/32-bit-and-64-bit-windows).
+I think that most machines running Windows XP will be x86/32-bit (unless it's
+a version of Windows with "64-bit" or "x64" in its title); machines running
+Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8 could be running either x86/32-bit or
+x64/64-bit.
## PLEASE REPORT PROBLEMS (AND SOLUTIONS!) ##