I-X Downloading and Installing

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From this page the complete current public release of the I-X software can be downloaded. The release includes:

Note that the public release does not include the source code.

Note also that to run I-X, Java needs to be installed on your machine.

I-X is Copyright (C) 2000 - 2008, AIAI, The University of Edinburgh

I-X is distributed under an open source licence. Read the full licence for details.

Instructions for Downloading and Installing I-X

Downloading and installing I-X consists of three major steps:

  1. Download the zip-file: Go to the public release section below and press the download button. The file that must be downloaded is called something like "ix-core.zip" or "ix-N-core.zip", where N is the latest version number (e.g. the I-X version 4.2 is called "ix-4.2-core.zip"). Your browser should then bring up a window asking you what you want to do with this file type (".zip"). The best way to proceed is to save the file somewhere on your computer (remember where!).
  2. Unpack the zip-file: Unzip the I-X core. The exact method for doing this depends on the operating system you are using. For instance, under Windows, you can unzip the core using a tool such as Winzip. For example, if you unzip the core into the D drive, this will generate the "D:\ix-4.2\..." directory. Under Unix, you can use the unzip-command to unzip the file to a location of your choosing. In the documentation, we use the term base directory, or <ix-base>, to refer to this directory.
  3. Run the test-script: If you use Windows, go to the directory "<ix-base>/scripts/win/" and run the script called "test-setup.bat". This should produce a few lines of output, essentially telling you which version of Java is being used. Unless one of the lines reads "'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.", it should be fine. Currently there is no equivalent script for Unix or other operating systems, but a simple "java -version" should at least tell you whether a JRE can be found in your environment.

I-X is now successfully installed on your machine. (For a quick look at an I-X Process Panel, double-click on the I-X Jar File at <ix-base>/ix.jar.)

The I-X Public Release

Java

Since it is written in the Java programming language, to use I-X you will need to have a Java runtime system (the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)) installed on your computer, and its location specified in the value of your path environment variable. (To test whether you have a JVM installed, type "java" at command-line prompt - if it is correctly installed this should return a message about how to use Java.)

If you need to install Java, you should download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) which contains the JVM. If you intend to do any Java development, download the Java Software Development Kit (SDK) instead - in addition to the JVM this also contains a Java compiler and debugger, useful if you then go on to develop code to extend the I-X system for your own applications. Both JRE and SDK are available from http://java.sun.com. Alternatively, ask your local computing support staff - they should be able to help you install and run a JVM.

Support

Currently, the support for I-X is rather limited. In the first instance, you should consult the documentation that is part of the public release version (see "<ix-base>/doc/"). If this does not answer all your questions, try the following:

Introduction | I-X Components | I-X Documentation | Downloading and Installing I-X | Applications | More Background