Return to MTsort guide base window
Improvements, bug fixes, etc ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.13 (to be released)
* Bug fixes ...
Corrected compiler bug affecting dollarname GROUP and NWORDS functions.
V1.80 released (3.12 patch 1).
Include files moved from $MIDAS/include to $MIDAS/MTsort/include
(3.12 patch 2).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.12 (Fri Mar 9 16:59:47 GMT 2001)
* Notice
This release may be the last one supporting Linux glibc2.0.
Future releases will be built using glibc2.1
glibc2.1-based releases of Linux include RedHat 6.2, Debian 2.2 ...
If this causes difficulty please contact support@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk
* Enhancements
Eurogam output handler now removes current file on close if zero
records written.
User routine attach/compilation added to setup tcl+MTsortSetup.
Sort run window tcl go-faster improvements.
Goosy handlers updated for flash adc data
N.B This may have prejudiced the handlers for other expts.
User routine argument types now include sortwords,spectra,
indexed spectra, arrays,maps, groupptrs ($a,xyz[256]).
Eurogam max block size increased to 32k
Affects internal buffer size + statistics after input handlers.
Added basic xsys (NAC) handler.
Program added to allow user to invoke/restart shmsas (needs to be
installed suid root).
* Bug fixes ...
Corrected problem with input handler for Gammasphere FMA prescan format data.
Corrected C compilation failure for LOOPEXTRACT...REVERSED.
Corrected output handler wildcard filename problem.
Multiple attach bug fixed in new version of shmsas. (v 3.10)
New shmsas version (3.11) correcting directory listing fault below
and allows no password for local access.
Red Hat 6.x: selecting shmsas resource in directory browser with an
empty directory path did not list any directories. If the directory
path is supplied then its contents will be listed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.11 (Tue May 30 17:17:06 BST 2000)
* Notice
This release will be the last one supporting Linux libc5.
The only version in future releases will use libc6 aka glibc2.
glibc2-based releases of Linux include RedHat 5.x, Debian 2.x ...
* Enhancements
Modified Euroball decoder to be a bit more resilient.
Package components moved from /MIDAS/bin... and /MIDAS/lib...
to /MIDAS/MTsort/bin... and /MIDAS/MTsort/lib...
in order to isolate from general MIDAS updates.
Added /dev/nst2 to Linux input/output handler device choices.
Added new output handler filename style choice ...
Each input file causes a new output file with new name taken
from output handler list.
Added input handler for Jyvaskyla MiniVenla format.
Added input handler for Legnaro Gasp format data.
Modified Argonne Gammasphere input handler to cope with Microball
and Neutron array FERA data.
Modified runfiles internal layout - re-compilation necessary.
Modified tape support routines and all tape handlers
to cope with wildcard filenames.
Wildcard run filenames allowed.
Added input handler for Yale WNSL format data.
Added input handler for Gammasphere FMA prescan format data.
Added "killshm " as external command to kill all users
shared memory segments - but Actions->Delete in sort Spectrum
Browser is the preferred method of removing segments.
Increased Linux libc6 shm segment size to 16MB.
* Bug fixes ...
Valuearray dimension error, cast lookup index to int.
Minor change in Run window tcl affecting Exogam init.
Goosy handlers, failed if type 4 events had odd number of data words
Eurogam disc output handler file stat() segv.
sym4d bug removed - caused crash during array update.
Scheduler handling of signals improved
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.10 (Tue Sep 21 10:13:39 BST 1999)
* Enhancements
* Bug fixes ...
Bug fixed with uninitialised LOOP (DOLOOP) variable.
Makefile: MTsortShmEventDump now installed OK.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.9 (Fri Aug 6 11:43:26 BST 1999)
* Enhancements
Maximum number of spectra increased to 4096.
Maximum number of gainarray names increased to 512.
Maximum IF nesting level increased to 16.
An Exogam format handler has been written (tape,disc,online spy).
This requires a config file to be adjusted to the set of
parameters in use. See web-based documentation.
Euroball handler now has inner ball supported.
Modified euroball config file, handler and tcl to accept more than
one data source hostname.
* Bug fixes ...
Sort compiler improvements in data output blocking.
Compilation failure fixed for assigning ROUTINE argument values.
Installation error with config files fixed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.8 (Tuesday June 1 16:28:24 BST 1999)
* Bug fixes ...
Spectrum connection problems during sort initialisation fixed.
Makefile installation problems fixed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.7 (Friday May 14 09:49:00 BST 1999)
* Bug fixes ...
Floating point ROUTINE arguments (were defined as integer in routine).
* Enhancements
Added a troubleshooting section to the Guide.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.6 (Tue Feb 9 15:28:25 GMT 1999)
* Bug fixes ...
The Autogain save file (auto_gains) now located in sort directory.
(Was in /tmp/tcl***** !)
Setup error checking improved + attempt to prevent map overwriting.
Tape drive status reading problem fixed (Linux only).
Internal buffering did not keep data blocks in strict sequence.
Attempted fix.
OakRidge and Stonybrook tape handlers modified to survive bad data.
* Enhancements
A Stonybrook FERA format handler has been written.
Increased number of sortwords allowed to 512.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.5 (Fri Nov 27 11:14:28 GMT 1998)
* Enhancements
The current block and runfile numbers at any point in a sort are
accessible via the reserved sortwords BLOCK_NUMBER and RUNFILE_NUMBER.
The Oak Ridge handler has been changed to accept a config file
to allow defining the parameter to group/item mappings.
Default config directory now /MIDAS/MTsort/config
Sortdir config file changed to generic name of .mtsort.cf (Beware!)
Modified tcl to run scheduler in xterm if cmdtool not available
(Linux)
Goosy handler has been enhanced to cope with type 4 subtype 1
data. Also improved endianness detection.
Formatted event listing program added.
Accessed through print block menu in run window.
Sort-spy daemon now functional on Linux (Eurogam Online handler).
ANSI tape handler max block size increased to 64k.
* Bug fixes ...
MTsortSchedule SEGV on cntl-c bug removed. Prevented segment and
message queue removal on exit.
All tape handlers tidied up wrt parameter value uniformity on
rewind/no rewind on file close.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.4 (Fri Jun 26 14:33:07 BST 1998)
* Bug fixes ...
Test for online in soc.tcl was not reliable.
shmsas ftok bug removed (affected multiple directories in concurrent use).
Gainword value specification improved.
Number of spectra calculated correctly when using indexed spectra
(caused spectrum creation to fail if limit exceeded).
2D SELECT command: case chosen was calculated incorrectly for select
statements where xmax was not equal to ymax.
Input/Output handler statistics now shows correctly.
Bitfield compile error solved.
* Enhancements
User asked to confirm delete/recreate spectra option when sort run started.
Improved handler for raw VXI format (Garel+, Strasbourg) to try
and account for the variants of format.
Changing input handler, sort program and/or spectrum path now
re-initialises sort within sort run window.
Added handler for Argonne FMA/Gammasphere data.
Disc-based spectrum updates.
All bin and lib directories changed to _SunOS, _Linux variants.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.3 (Wed Feb 25 14:45:30 GMT 1998)
* Bug fixes ...
Linux version *DATA gates, x-y coordinates were transposed.
* Enhancements
Sort gate/polygon editor added, accessed via setup window.
Added SET command to assign a value to a spectrum channel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.2 (Mon Jan 12 11:29:25 GMT 1998)
* Bug fixes ...
Goosy handler, Linux version, CAMAC data wrongly decoded.
* Enhancements
Added handler for OakRidge data format
Added handler for raw VXI format (Garel+, Strasbourg)
Added wait-for-tape loop increasing backoff times for tape handlers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.1 (Tue Nov 11 16:54:49 GMT 1997)
* Bug fixes ...
shmsas didnt delete directories if disc files already deleted.
shmsas crashed if spectrum refresh on and spectra deleted.
Scheduler termination problems on Linux improved.
Gsphere handlers corrected on Linux for byteswapping problem.
Improved output runfile handling.
Eurogam tape output handler crashing on startup.
* Enhancements
Autogain implemented.
Linux version automatically places SCSI driver into variable block mode.
Handler interfaces now have "ResetLine" command which keeps name
of currently selected runfile, but resets block range to zeroes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 3.0 (Sun Oct 12 17:57:35 BST 1997)
* Major changes ...
MTsort now a separate MIDAS subpackage ... /MIDAS/MTsort/*
shmsas now multi-user - allows more than one sort to be run on a wkstn.
MTsortSchedule handler organisation changed.
Handlers simplified, and reduced in size.
I/O handlers now loaded when handler chosen from handler list.
Allows handler change within program if stopped.
!!! MTsort recompilation required - requirement for this reduced in future.
New handlers: GSI Goosy format subset (vme acq).
Jyvaskyla Venla format.
Extended group format introduced - for OUTPUT command and Euroball handler.
MTsort User Manual now also in html form.
Tcl bug fix changing input handler
* Command changes ... see manual v2.14 (http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/docs/edoc033.dvi)
CREATELIST now accepts group range.
DOLOOP now accepts sortword or integer initial, final and step values.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (patch release: Sep 2)
* Bug fixes in MTsort compiler
IF/LOOPIF MASKEDBY (incorrect mask count)
Increased some internal array ranges to prevent SEGV (mainly Linux version)
RANDOM command failed due to file missing in package release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (Thu Jul 24 13:00:35 BST 1997)
* Major changes ...
MTsort now a separate MIDAS subpackage ... /MIDAS/MTsort/*
shmsas now multi-user - allows more than one sort to be run on a wkstn.
MTsortSchedule handler organisation changed.
Handlers simplified, and reduced in size.
I/O handlers now loaded when handler chosen from handler list.
Allows handler change within program if stopped.
!!! MTsort recompilation required - requirement for this reduced in future.
New handlers: GSI Goosy format subset (vme acq).
Jyvaskyla Venla format.
Extended group format introduced - for OUTPUT command and Euroball handler.
MTsort User Manual now also in html form.
Tcl bug fix changing input handler
* Command changes ... see manual v2.14 (http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/docs/edoc033.dvi)
CREATELIST now accepts group range.
DOLOOP now accepts sortword or integer initial, final and step values.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (patch release: Sep 2)
* Bug fixes in MTsort compiler
IF/LOOPIF MASKEDBY (incorrect mask count)
Increased some internal array ranges to prevent SEGV (mainly Linux version)
RANDOM command failed due to file missing in package release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (Thu Jul 24 13:00:35 BST 1997)
* Major changes ...
MTsort now a separate MIDAS subpackage ... /MIDAS/MTsort/*
shmsas now multi-user - allows more than one sort to be run on a wkstn.
MTsortSchedule handler organisation changed.
Handlers simplified, and reduced in size.
I/O handlers now loaded when handler chosen from handler list.
Allows handler change within program if stopped.
!!! MTsort recompilation required - requirement for this reduced in future.
New handlers: GSI Goosy format subset (vme acq).
Jyvaskyla Venla format.
Extended group format introduced - for OUTPUT command and Euroball handler.
MTsort User Manual now also in html form.
Tcl bug fix changing input handler
* Command changes ... see manual v2.14 (http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/docs/edoc033.dvi)
CREATELIST now accepts group range.
DOLOOP now accepts sortword or integer initial, final and step values.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (patch release: Sep 2)
* Bug fixes in MTsort compiler
IF/LOOPIF MASKEDBY (incorrect mask count)
Increased some internal array ranges to prevent SEGV (mainly Linux version)
RANDOM command failed due to file missing in package release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (Thu Jul 24 13:00:35 BST 1997)
* Major changes ...
MTsort now a separate MIDAS subpackage ... /MIDAS/MTsort/*
shmsas now multi-user - allows more than one sort to be run on a wkstn.
MTsortSchedule handler organisation changed.
Handlers simplified, and reduced in size.
I/O handlers now loaded when handler chosen from handler list.
Allows handler change within program if stopped.
!!! MTsort recompilation required - requirement for this reduced in future.
New handlers: GSI Goosy format subset (vme acq).
Jyvaskyla Venla format.
Extended group format introduced - for OUTPUT command and Euroball handler.
MTsort User Manual now also in html form.
Tcl bug fix changing input handler
* Command changes ... see manual v2.14 (http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/docs/edoc033.dvi)
CREATELIST now accepts group range.
DOLOOP now accepts sortword or integer initial, final and step values.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (patch release: Sep 2)
* Bug fixes in MTsort compiler
IF/LOOPIF MASKEDBY (incorrect mask count)
Increased some internal array ranges to prevent SEGV (mainly Linux version)
RANDOM command failed due to file missing in package release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.2 (Thu Jul 24 13:00:35 BST 1997)
* New commands ... see manual v2.13 (http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/docs/edoc033.dvi)
OUTPUT command enhanced to allow a new group number to be written out with
a defined item list:
OUTPUT stream GROUP number (sortword-list)
Elliptical 2D gating added to filter on a list of gates defined by
position/radius: (and 3D coming soon...)
IF/LOOPIF x y GATEDBY gatename
Addition of loop-variable allows nesting:
DOLOOP loop-variable FROM i TO j STEP k
* Command changes
GAIN now uses improved randomising.
OUTPUT commands are now additive within event. Previously, only one output
command allowed per event, since each produced separate output event.
Gates (maps and elliptical) should now be specified with the keyword GATES.
For maps the GATEMAP keyword is supported for backwards compatibility.
* The default 1D spectrum precision has been changed from 16 to 32-bit.
* Sortwords checked for name duplication against gate, array names, etc.
* Bug fixes in EXTRACT, tcl fixes, documentation improvements ...
* Sort setup/running no longer requires SAS. (SHMSAS only needed).
New versions of spectrum utility programs.
New versions of shmsas and MTssascopy in preparation for multi-user access.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.1 (Fri Jun 13 09:46:10 BST 1997, JAS)
* Sort setup version changed from v4 to v5 because of change in shared object
code. Incompatible with earlier setups: sortfiles have to be recompiled.
* Euroball unpack for format#2 (euroball experiments after mid May 1997).
* Html style help added. Can be viewed via MTsort Help or via web browser
with URL set to file:/MIDAS/manual/MTsort/MTsort.html.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTsort version 2.0alpha0 (Wed May 14 11:11:03 BST 1997, JAS)
* First release of MTsort ...
* Sort program has been changed to use shared objects, so input and output
handlers are linked at runtime, not on compile. This version also uses
shared memory for updating spectra and is multithreaded.
* Euroball data format handlers added.
* Sort variables: name length increased to 16 characters.
* Name pattern matching in shared memory spectrum server has been fixed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha5 (Fri Apr 4 14:35:33 BST 1997, JAS)
* Bug fixed with EGmapmake for 3D valuearrays. Bug introduced in 1.20alpha3.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha4 (Thu Apr 3 14:43:13 BST 1997, JAS)
* Bug with OUTPUT command fixed for padding with even number of items.
* Bug with shmsas2 fixed for case where spectrum space requested was exactly
equal to shm segment size and requested an extra zero length segment.
* Bug with invalidate/number function fixed for group lists.
* sort.apparatus file modified to give unique names for resources.
* Minor updates for libeg.a and some multithreaded binaries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha3 (Wed Mar 26 15:54:38 GMT 1997, JAS)
* Increase number of gates per map from 32 to 128, allow up to 64k channels
for x dimension (EGmapmake).
* 2D SELECT command: min and max checking added for each index.
* Sources for 1.20alpha0,1,2 compiled without Solaris2 flag (mainly affected
default device names).
* Recommended parameters for shmsas2 changed (see README).
* 1.20alpha0,1,2 tcl bug fixed for online sort (invalid command:
update-idletasks).
* libeg.a, libegsort.a, EGssascopy2 added to installation script.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha2 (Wed Mar 19 12:26:33 GMT 1997, JAS)
* Bug in EGlib (EGwriteSpectrum) fixed where the same 8000 bytes written
up to the spectrum length.
Affects EGmapmake and 1.20alpha0 and 1.20alpha1 versions of
libegsorto.a, libegsorto.shm.a, libegsortx.a, libegsortx.shm.a
(sync_spectrum routine).
* Online shared memory library for 1.20alpha0 and 1.20alpha1 was compiled
without shared memory option! (libegsortx.shm.a)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha1 (Mon Mar 10 17:36:54 GMT 1997, JAS)
* Bug fixed with maximum number of items allowed when items are declared
using bitfields.
* Various tcl bugs fixed: eg. starting spectrum viewer from sort windows.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGsort version 1.20alpha0 (Tue Mar 4 08:07:30 GMT 1997, JAS)
* Parser sometimes switched into debug mode after error, generating lots of
messages.
* Random now starts with a more random value. It is seeded using the current
datetime.
* Within an arithmetic expression, name followed by a "-" sign with no
intervening space does not generate a compiler error.
* Date and time in spectrum update messages is updated correctly.
* If font is undefined for sort text entries it does not generate an error.
and the default text entry font is selected.
* If the sort spectrum browser is killed it can be restarted OK.
* An interrupt signal causes spectra to be updated to disc before terminating
the sort.
* 3D arrays not starting from base channel zero are indexed OK.
* Larger 2D arrays are created OK.
* After some errors the parser used to switch into verbose mode.
Maintained by Janet Sampson and John Cresswell (University of Liverpool)
Email to support@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk