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simfit logo Installing SIMFIT under openSUSE Linux running KDE
(by Mikael Widersten)

Step 1 - WINE installation Install WINE, advice being to download and install the latest milestone (rpm packaged) from winehq.com using YAST2. This will create a virtual Windows installation which will make up the home of your SIMFIT installation. WINE will create a directory in your home folder called .wine containing a drive_c folder. This drive_c folder is emulated as a Windows C:\ drive inside Windows-dependent programs such as SIMFIT. Your Linux home directory is emulated as Y:\.
Step 2 - Software download Download the SIMFIT installer from the SIMFIT download site.
Step 3 - Installation Do not attempt to install Ghostscript or GSview, as Ghostscript, PS-viewers and PDF-readers are built into Linux. To install SIMFIT, first unzip the simfit_install.zip file (I use Ark for this since I use KDE) and be sure to read the file linux.txt. You can install by clicking the simfit_setup.exe file created.
Step 4 - Configuration

(1) Read the text files packaged with the installation program, especially linux.txt, which contains much useful information. If this is a first time installation, you must delete the files l_simfit.cfg and w_simfit.cfg from the SIMFIT folder, to give SIMFIT the chance to create a Linux configuration. Otherwise a default Windows configuration may be installed. Note that SIMFIT does not overwrite any configuration files on installation. Also, you can delete any configuration files, such as w_simfit.cfg and l_simfit.cfg at any time and SIMFIT will create appropriate defaults.

(2) The first time you launch SIMFIT you are met by a query screen which asks about the file l_simfit.cfg, which is the storage for all user-specific SIMFIT configurations. Read through the text in this and subsequent query dialogs with care, since a wrong choice will require that you fix the configuration afterwards (no big deal, but unneccesary hassle).

(3) Some questions regarding drive letters; I use Z for the root (/) partition and Y for my home directory (/home/micke).

(4) Some questions regarding names of installation directories; wine-install dir is the same as your home directory.

(5) You are then presented with a suggestion for configuration. Here you can change obvious faults in your previous configuration, such as directory paths and such. Also check SIMFIT's suggestions for auxiliary programs (editors, calculators and such). Alter according to your personal preferences. I am a KDE user myself and therefore prefer KDE apps.

(6) SIMFIT now writes the config files.

(7) The installation should provide you with an entry in the K menu (Wine > Programs > Simfit > Simfit). Clicking the Simfit icon should start the program up. Clicking the Configure button at the bottom part of the main window launches the current configuration. In this window it is possible to change any of the configurated parameters. After a change, press Check to test that the entered value is valid, then save by pressing Apply.

Below is a screenshot of my SIMFIT configuration. It utilizes the KDE tools kwrite (text editor) kprint (for printing), kcalc (for calculator) etc.
  simfit conf. settings
 
Step 5 - Fit your data With the described procedure I have been running SIMFIT stably under SUSE, and later openSUSE Linux, for years, so there is no reason to boot into Windows just to be able to utilize this really great program package.
Feedback I will not respond to any questions regarding the SIMFIT program - those should be redirected to Bill. If you have some general questions concerning running SIMFIT inside openSUSE you could contact me mikael.widersten@biorg.uu.se, but I can not guarantee any response what so ever.

Cheers,
/micke