====== LOFAR Docker Images ======

We offer the LOFAR software as Docker images, allowing anyone to run our software using the same configuration, without having to build it. Our images can be browsed at https://hub.docker.com/r/lofar/.

====== LOFAR Interferometry Post-Processing Software ======

To run the lofar pipeline software, you need to:

  - Install and configure [[https://docs.docker.com/engine/getstarted/|Docker]] on your computer (Mac/Linux/Windows)
  - Download and start the LOFAR image by running: <file>
docker run -it --rm -u $UID -e USER -e HOME -v $HOME:$HOME lofar/lofar-pipeline:LOFAR-Release-2_19
</file> To list all available versions, go to https://hub.docker.com/r/lofar/lofar-pipeline/tags/.
  - You now have the LOFAR software available at your finger tips, and your home directory available. You can run for example: <file>
you@3617438dfc63:/$ NDPPP  
Usage: DPPP [-v] [parsetfile] [parsetkeys...]
  parsetfile: a file containing one parset key=value pair per line
  parsetkeys: any number of parset key=value pairs, e.g. msin=my.MS
</file> or: <file>
you@3617438dfc63:/$ long_baseline_pipeline.py 
/opt/lofar/lib/python2.7/site-packages/lofarpipe/support/utilities.pyc : Using default subprocess module!
Usage: /opt/lofar/bin/long_baseline_pipeline.py <parset-file>  [options]
Results:
</file> or one of our dependencies: <file>
you@3617438dfc63:/$ /opt/aoflagger/bin/aoflagger
AOFlagger 2.8.0 (2016-06-21) command line application
This program will execute an RFI strategy as can be created with the RFI gui
and executes it on one or several observations.

Author: André Offringa (offringa@gmail.com)

Usage: ./aoflagger [options] <obs1> [<obs2> [..]]
...
</file>

====== LOFAR Pulsar Post-Processing Software ======

To run the lofar pipeline software, you need to:
  - Install and configure [[https://docs.docker.com/engine/getstarted/|Docker]] on your computer (Mac/Linux/Windows)
  - Download and start the LOFAR image by running: <file>
docker run -it --rm -u $UID -e USER -e HOME -v $HOME:$HOME lofar/lofar-pulp:LOFAR-Release-2_19
</file> To list all available versions, go to https://hub.docker.com/r/lofar/lofar-pulp/tags/.
  - You now have the LOFAR pulp software available at your finger tips, and your home directory available. You can run for example: <file>
you@3617438dfc63:/$ pulp.py 
Usage: pulp.py <--id ObsID> [-h|--help] [OPTIONS]
</file>

====== Q&A ======

===== Installation =====

=== Q: Where can I find a list of available LOFAR software versions? ===

A: For ''lofar-pipeline'', surf to [[https://hub.docker.com/r/lofar/lofar-pipeline/tags/]]. For ''lofar-pulp'', surf to [[https://hub.docker.com/r/lofar/lofar-pulp/tags/]].

=== Q: What is included in the image? ===

We put the following in our ''lofar-pipeline'' image:

  * LOFAR Pipeline Framework & Recipes
  * NDPPP
  * AWImager
  * AOFlagger
  * DAL2
  * Casacore + casarest + python-casacore

===== Running the software =====

=== Q: I can't see my data or parset? ===

Once you have the Docker image up and running, you will need some data to work on, and likely a parset with configuration settings. If you've put both in your home directory, they're immediately available when running with the commands described on this page. If not, you can use additional [[https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/run/#/volume-shared-filesystems|''-v'']] parameters to make more directories available in your Docker container.

=== Q: I get "Illegal instruction" when running some of the software? ===

A: The LOFAR software is compiled for a 2015-era processor (Intel Xeon E5-2603v3 to be exact) for performance reasons, and uses CPU instructions not available on older machines. Please run our images on a newer machine, or [[#development_extending_the_software|rebuild the Docker images from scratch]].

===== Development (extending the software) =====

=== Q: How do I obtain your Dockerfiles? ===

A: By running:

<file>
svn co -N https://svn.astron.nl/LOFAR/branches/LOFAR-Release-2_19/
cd LOFAR-Release-2_19
svn up CMake
mkdir -p build/gnu_opt && cd build/gnu_opt

cmake ../.. -DBUILD_PACKAGES=Docker -DUSE_LOG4CPLUS=OFF -DUSE_CASACORE=OFF && make -j 16 install
</file>

which will put the Dockerfiles in subdirectories in ''LOFAR-Release-2_19/build/gnu_opt/installed/share/docker''.

=== Q: How do I build your Docker images from scratch? ===

A: By obtaining the Dockerfiles (see above), and running:

<file>
# load LOFAR environment variables, used to determine tags etc
source installed/lofarinit.sh
# build all LOFAR images, in the order required by their interdependencies
docker-build-all.sh
</file>

=== Q: How do I add files/modifications permanently? ===

A: The best way to add stuff to our images is by creating a new image based on ours. To do so, create a directory containing the files you want to add. Add to this directory a ''Dockerfile'' that describes your extension, for example:

<file>
FROM lofar-pipeline:LOFAR-Release-2_19

COPY my_extension /opt/my_extension
</file>

Finally, you run <file>docker build -t myimage:mytag directory/</file> where ''directory'' is the directory containing the Dockerfile, and ''myimage:mytag'' is the name and tag of your new image (instead of ''lofar-pipeline:LOFAR-Release-2_19''). See also the [[https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/builder/|Docker manual]] on how to make and use Dockerfiles.

=== Q: How do I add initialisation stuff? (PYTHONPATH, etc) ===

A: Our Docker images execute ''/opt/bashrc'' upon entry, which in turn reads and sources all the files in ''/opt/bashrc.d/'' in order. You can thus add bash files to this directory that contain your initialisation statements, f.e. a file called ''20-myextension'' containing ''export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:/opt/my_extension''.

Note: if you add eggs to the image, you need to put the egg //filename// to the PYTHONPATH. It is not enough to add the directory containing the egg.