Linux for Fortran 90 programming..

Hi.. I have to do some Fortran 90 programming on Linux and I am planning to install some version of Linux on my laptop(E1505). I obviously, like every Linux NooB, need help with picking out a version first. I'm trying to find one that is compatible with my wireless card, and my Ati video card.(Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG and X1400). It doesn't really matter how user friendly/unfriendly it is. Please comment..

Also, how much harddisk space will I need for the linux partition. WinXP will remain my primary OS.

 

Kanotix is very easy to get setup. It has a nice install routine that I found very friendly back when I was even more of a n00b It also has a script for installing ATI drivers, though you won't need them for only fortran. I had a fortran class once, it was fun Anyway, once you have kanotix installed, you will be running the latest version of Debian. Then you can use apt, a program that makes installing other programs easy, to install fortran. Lets see, I would allow at least 5GB, 6 should be plenty. You won't need to worry about a swap file if you have lots of RAM (1GB+), unless you want to enable hibernation. You might need for standby, too, but I'm not sure, because I never use them so I didn't bother finding out how to set them up.

I haven't any experience with Ubuntu, but I hear its very easy and friendly, too.

 

If you're interested in programming Fortran under linux, this page details the various compilers (free and commercial) currently available.

As for WiFi support, the ipw3945 is currently supported (as a DIY driver), although it's standard in the upcoming release of Ubuntu, scheduled for a June release. Beta versions are currently available for download.

 

Thanks... really appreciate the help...

 

WAAAY cool link, TedJ. Thanks

 

Keep in mind that older g77 Fortran compiler from the GCC collection doesn't
support Fortran 90/95 at all. What you need is gfortran, which is available
with GCC-4.0 and later versions. Intel also has free C++ and Fortran compilers
for GNU/Linux.

I recommend Fedora Core 5 or Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake). Debian is indeed
a very good distribution for developers, but Ubuntu offers a more polished and
well-designed look-n-feel. Plus, Ubuntu is based on Debian, which is an added
advantage. FC5 comes with GCC-4.1.0 compiler collection, which includes C,
C++, Ada, Fortran and Objective C/C++ compilers. They have recently published
updates to GCC-4.1.1, so you can get the latest development tools.

One thing to be aware of is the strange partitioning mechanism of Fedora Core.
It is always recommended that you install any distribution of Linux after installing
Windows. This is because Linux is sensible enough to detect the presense of
Windows and offer a choice of boot into it. But, Windows just overwrites the
MBR, thus disabling the Linux boot capability. Fedora Core, however, writes a
different style of partition information to the HDD's partition table, which XP
cannot read properly. I've not found this problem in other Linux distributions
like SuSE, Debian, Slackware or Ubuntu. So, if you install XP first and then
decide to install Fedora Core 5, everything will be okay. But if you decide to
re-install XP after sometime, for example, the XP bootable CD will just hang
in black, after failing to read the partition table properly. Note that this problem
doesn't exist in case of Windows 2000 or 2003 Server.

You can also install Solaris Express, a beta version of the upcoming Solaris 11.
Solaris is not a GNU/Linux distribution, but another UNIX flavour like BSD. It is
a very mature operating system, which is considered ideal for server deployment.
Recently, Sun Microsystems made available their compiler suite: Sun Studio 11
free for all purposes. This compiler suite includes C, C++ and Fortran compilers
and it considered one of the best in the industry, in terms of optimization and
binary quality. The only problem is that Solaris is not exactly very laptop friendly,
since it's primarily a server OS. So, if you can make do with the free 2D only
capability of the ATi driver, and can bear hassles with the ndiswrapper in case
if WiFi support, it's an excellent choice. Next week, they will be releasing build 41,
with latest GNOME etc., so you can wait for that and see if you like it.

The choice is yours.

 

Thanks Yamaraj.. I installed FC5 yesterday, after I was unable to get UBUNtu 6.06 to work for some strange reason. Also, I am using the Intel Fortran compiler. I tried installing some updates using yum and now my window manager is all messed up.. it freezes for a while wen run startx, and when the X-window inteface appears it doesnt behave ok.. i am happy with running it in text mode, however, sometimes i feel its a lil inconvienent.. Is is possible to uninstall/reinstall Gnome.. Just wondering?

 

Quite likey a linkage problem, though I'm not sure. FC5 has had a lot of problems
lately with slightly older software, compiled against older versions of glibc.
I had a lot of problems installing Oracle 10g XE on FC5.

Either do a full FC5 upgrade, or install again from scratch. Then fully update
the system, and pay visit to the Intel Fortran Compiler Forum to resolve any
possible issues before installing it.

BTW, what went wrong with Ubuntu there? It's running fine on my R52. And
it feels lighter than FC5, which is already quite fast. Give it a try again using
the CD/DVD alternate installtion method. That is, don't install using the Live
environment.

 

I did install it from scratch and its working fine now. You are right, Ubuntu is lighter. One can tell, 700mb compared with 3+ gb of FC5. I went with FC5 because thats what I use at work. As I am new to linux I donn't want to switch between distros too much. Now my next mission is to get wireless to work. You will soon be seeing a Help thread about that from me.