Validation

[Tom Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net>]

I am trying to get several networked computers all set up to process image 
files to star lists.  It is a struggle.  So far I am yet to get consistent 
answers.  Sigh!   Mostly it is my fault in that I don't have all the 
constants set to the same value.

I have at least one computer which has some individualistic tendencies.  It 
will load 27 8MB images and then quit like it has loaded everything on the 
disk.  This without complaint and even though there are 80 images on the 
disk.  It has exactly the same set up as another computer that works 
perfectly.  Possibly this is some well known problem.  Mandrake 9.0, 256 MB 
of main memory, plenty of disk menory.  Note this computer was set up with 
exactly the same sequence as another that works without problem.  The only 
difference is the size and shape of the disk partitions and the funny 
computer has "only" 256MB of memory.  Possibly the Mandrake set up program 
in it's wisdom set some buffer different on this computer?  I was running a 
large (15,000 square foot computer room) computer installation when there 
was probably not 256 MB of memory in the world.

Today I will set up with a master pipeline on one computer and just move it 
to the other computers.

I am working on a tech note that will describe everything in the set up so 
that later we can go back and see how this run was processed.

I know that this is a well known problem for some of you, but I have to 
work out how to do it from scratch.

There is lots of good data to process once I get everything working 
smoothly.  I have close to 360 degrees at -6 to + 18. There is roughly 
10-20 days of observations for each star.  There should be about 1 million 
stars in the list.  This should be enough data to show lots of medium and 
long period variables.

Each day I get closer to being able to run 3 systems.  Sigh!  It is always 
something as those of you with systems know.  The current problem is that 
(even though Dan asked me if he was installing the right ones) I somehow 
had the wrong pulleys put on TOM2 and TOM3.

However, once I get one running, it just keeps going.  Taking data with 
TOM1 is routine.  I just open it up and run.  Then I transcribe the data to 
CD.  Every so often I look at the desiccant and change it when pink.  Even 
the focus now holds constant.

Tom Droege