CHAPTER 3: Getting Started On the HST Archive System In This Chapter... Logging In / 7 Available Commands / 8 Guest Users / 9 Using STARCAT / 11 Reading Text Files in the Documents Directory / 12 Help / 14 You access the HST archives through an archive host workstation that is maintained at STScI specifically for use by archival researchers. There are two such workstations: STDATA is a VAX running the VMS operating system and STDATU is a Sun workstation running the Unix operating system; we refer to them here as the archive host computers. Logging In Use TELNET to log into STDATA or STDATU. To use STDATA, type: telnet stdata.stsci.edu or telnet 130.167.1.135 To use STDATU, type: telnet stdatu.stsci.edu or telnet 130.167.1.148 You should normally log in using a VT100 terminal or a terminal or window emulating a VT100 (see page 11.) You will be prompted for your username and password. First time (non-registered) users may log in to the guest account using the username guest and the password archive. Registered HST archive users should log in with their own username and password. The guest account will give you complete access to the HST catalog; to actually obtain data files, you must register as a user. After you successfully log in, you will be placed in your individual work area on the archive host computer's magnetic disk (guest users will be placed in the guest work area). To return to this directory at any point type home from the command line prompt. The size of your work area is limited to 1 megabyte. Your work area allows you to maintain user specific files and to save files created during a STARCAT session. It is not intended (and is not large enough) to serve as a repository for HST data (see "Using STARCAT" on page 11). Logging Out To end a TELNET session and return to your own host system, type: logout from the command line prompt. Reading the Archive News After logging in to STDATA or STDATU, you may want to first read the archive news. To read the news type: $ readnews The archive news is stored in a file called archive_news.txt in the info subdirectory of the documents directory on the archive host computer (see page 13). Available Commands Your account on the archive host computer allows you to use all of the normal system commands (either VMS or Unix). In addition, a number of canned commands are provided that allow you to easily maneuver through the directory structure, set up default specifications, obtain information about the archive, and manipulate files as needed. See Table 3.1 for a list of these commands. Note that the default editor for users on STDATA is EDT; for users on STDATU it is vi. If you wish to change your default editor, for use on the command line and for use within STARCAT itself, use the change_editor command. Command Purpose change_editor Change the default editor data Change default directory to the dmf_stage disk docs Change default directory to the DOCUMENTS directory files Write a listing of the directory contents to a file home Return to your home directory more Display file contents a page at a time readnews Read the HST archive news register Register as an HST archive user and get your own username cd directory Change directory, equivalent to VMS command SET DEFAULT [.directory] starcat Start STARCAT so that you can access the HST archives stwfits Convert an HST data file to FITS format sun2vax Convert Unix-format GEIS file to VAX format vax2sun Convert VAX-format GEIS file to Unix format vt100 Set the terminal type to VT100 Table 3.1: Canned Commands Guest Users Logging In When you log in as a guest, you will first be asked to choose an editor for this session. Then a subdirectory will be created for you under the guest directory. The home command will return you to that directory. You should note the name of the directory that is created for you, in case you wish to use FTP to transfer files you create in a STARCAT session to your home computer (see page 41). The name of the subdirectory is derived from the name of the computer (node) from which you log into STDATA or STDATU (using telnet). You may occasionally find yourself in a directory originally created for another user who logged in from a similarly-named computer. In that case, we suggest you create a subdirectory within that directory and move there before you run STARCAT. For example, on STDATA you could type: mkdir oort cd oort On STDATU, you could type: create/dir [.oort] cd oort These directories will be automatically deleted after two days of non-use. Registering as a User Although a guest user can access the HST catalog, only registered users can retrieve HST data. To register as an HST archive user, you must complete an archive registration form. You can register at any time from the command line of the archive host by typing: register This command will put you in your default editor and bring up the electronic HST Archive Registration Form. Type in the necessary information and exit the editor. You can exit the editor by: o Pressing and then typing exit if you are in EDT o Pressing and then typing :wq if you are in vi When you exit the editor, the form is submitted as an e-mail message to the archive hotseat. In order to be registered as an HST archive user, you must enter all information requested on the form. A copy of the registration form is included in the appendix at the back of this manual and a PostScript version of the form is maintained in the forms subdirectory of the documents directory on the archive host. You can also obtain a copy of the form by sending e-mail to archive@stsci.edu. You will be notified by e-mail of your registration as an archive user within two working days of the time your request is received. As a registered user, you will be able to retrieve public HST data through the STARCAT interface. You will be allocated disk space on the archive computer to allow retrieval and limited manipulation of non-proprietary data. Your account on the archive host computer is set up with limited access to STScI software and is not for general-purpose computing. Using STARCAT To use STARCAT to peruse the contents of the HST archive catalog, type starcat from the command prompt (as described on page 16). This will put you in the banner screen. Note that the banner screen lists the versions of the HST Archive Primer and the HST Archive Manual that should be used with the currently-running version of STARCAT. Chapter 4 of this manual explains how to use STARCAT to query the database and retrieve data. Only registered users can retrieve HST data. Registered users can retrieve limited amounts of HST data from the HST archive to a subdirectory of the data directory (scratch area) on the host workstation's magnetic disk, called dmf_stage. To go to the data directory at any point, type data. Data retrieved from the HST archive is in VAX-specific GEIS format when it is placed on the disk. To convert files to Unix format, you can use the task vax2sun. To convert GEIS files to FITS format prior to transferring to your home computer via FTP, you can use the standalone task stwfits. Chapter 4 explains how to retrieve, convert, and transfer your data. Because we have many users, the disk space available to each user within the data directory is limited and the files you create in the data directory are temporary. Files in this area will be deleted automatically after five days, however, we would appreciate your deleting your files from the archive host computer after you successfully copy your files to your home computer. A termcap file enables STARCAT to support most terminal types including XTERM windows. However, if problems occur with your STARCAT screen try setting your terminal type to VT100. Type the following command before starting STARCAT: $ vt100 There are several screens in STARCAT that are too long to fit on a 24-line terminal screen. If you are using a workstation, you can set your terminal size to 48 lines before entering STARCAT and use a long window to view these screens. To set your terminal window, you would type one of the following commands: Unix (stdatu): stty rows 48 VMS (stdata): set terminal/page=48 Reading Text Files in the Documents Directory The documents directory contains ASCII files that are of interest to archival researchers. To get to the documents directory from any point, type docs. Within this directory is an ASCII file called documents.list that contains a listing and brief description of all documents maintained in this directory and its subdirectories. Each subdirectory also contains its own listing file of the form subdirectory.list. For example, the manuals directory contains a file manuals.list that explains the contents of files in that directory. The ASCII files in the documents directory can either be searched on line or they can be transferred back to your host computer using FTP (see "Using FTP" on page 41). Manuals PostScript files of the latest versions of the HST Archive Manual and the HST Archive Primer are kept in the manual subdirectory of the documents directory. To get to this directory from the documents directory, type: $ cd manual The primer is composed of the first five chapters of the archive manual; it provides all the basic information needed to query the HST catalog and retrieve HST data using the STScI archive host computers. Forms Forms related to archival research, such as the Request for HST Archive Data, HST Archive Registration and Request for an Archival Visit to STScI, are maintained as PostScript files in the forms subdirectory of the documents directory. Info Informational files are kept in the info subdirectory of the documents directory. Files in the info subdirectory include: o archive_news.txt o frequent_questions.txt o starcat_bugs.txt o data_probs.txt o catalog_probs.txt Exposure Catalogs The Archived Exposures Catalog (AEC) and Exposure Catalog (EC) are located in the exposures subdirectory under the documents directory. The AEC comprises two parts: the aec.cat for fixed targets, and the aec_ss.cat for solar system targets. The AEC is updated monthly. The AEC is an ASCII list of observations in the HST archive and contains information such as the target name, position, instrument, mode, and date on which the data become non-proprietary (publicly accessible). Information provided in the AEC is a selected subset of the keyword information in the DMF catalog. The AEC is produced through an automated search of the DMF database using STARCAT. (For more information, see "The AEC and the EC" on page 82). The EC is called exposures_DDMMMYY.CAT where DDMMMYY is the date when the file was made. The EC is an ASCII listing of all HST targets approved for observation by either general observers (GOs) or guaranteed time observers (GTOs); the coordinates for these targets have been fully specified in the Proposal Data Base (PDB). Thus, it includes information for both executed and planned HST observations. The EC listing is produced by the User Support Branch of STScI. Both the EC and the AEC are also maintained on the Space Telescope Electronic Information System (STEIS). The EC is also a table in the DMF database and can be queried from within STARCAT using the EXP_CAT screen under the PRE-OBS menu (see page 117). Target RA and Dec in the AEC and EC are in J2000 coordinates. Help Help, or answers to any questions you may have about the HST archives, can be obtained by sending e-mail to: archive@stsci.edu or SCIVAX::ARCHIVE, or by phoning (410) 338-4547 during normal working hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time). To obtain a printed version of the HST Archive Manual or the HST Archive Primer, or any other relevant HST documents, contact the User Support Branch at STScI by sending e-mail to: usb@stsci.edu, or by phoning (410) 338-5015. 7