= Starlink =

The Starlink Project was a long running UK Project supporting astronomical data processing. It was shut down in 2005 but the software continues to be developed at the [[http://www.jach.hawaii.edu | Joint Astronomy Centre]] and is open source.

[[StarlinkNews | Starlink News ]] was last updated 12 October 2009.

== Getting the Software ==

The Joint Astronomy Centre has made a number of [[Releases]]. The most recent is [[Nanahope]] which can be downloaded from [[NanahopeDownload | here]]. [[NanahopeErrata|Nanahope patches]] are also available (last updated 12 October 2009).

For a cutting edge version, you can [[rsyncStarlink|rsync from the Joint Astronomy Centre's build]].

== Getting Support ==

The original [[http://www.starlink.ac.uk |Starlink]] web site has been mothballed but additional support can be found:

 * [[http://starlink.jach.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/htxfinder | Search the documentation]]

 * Ask a question on the [[http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/starlink.html | Starlink support mailing list ]]

 * For data reduction questions regarding the use of the Starlink software to process JCMT and UKIRT data you can use the <<MailTo(stardev AT SPAMFREE jach DOT hawaii DOT edu)>> mailing list.

There is also information on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_Project | Starlink wikipedia entry]].

Announcements about Starlink software releases by the Joint Astronomy Centre will be made on the starlink-announce mailing list. To subscribe, visit the [[http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/starlink-announce|starlink-announce webpage]].

== Support Pages for Starlink Applications and Libraries ==

Some Starlink applications and libraries have associated support pages:

 * [[ CUPID ]]
 * [[ AST ]]

== Developing the software ==

The source code is freely available. Development and build questions can be asked on the [[ http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/stardev.html | Starlink development mailing list]]

The source code is directly available from a Git [[http://starlink.jach.hawaii.edu/git/?p=starlink.git;a=summary | source code repository]]. Download the source code:

{{{
 % git clone git://starlink.jach.hawaii.edu/starlink.git
}}}
or (much slower but may work with some firewalls)
{{{
 % git clone http://starlink.jach.hawaii.edu/starlink.git
}}}

You can download Git from [[http://git-scm.com/ | its home page]]. A [[GitPrimer | Git primer]] is available along with the Starlink [[GitPolicies | Git development policies]]. The bulk of the collection is distributed under the [[http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt|GNU Public Licence]], and the remainder under the [[StarlinkLicence |old Starlink Licence]].

Refer to the code in individual packages for more information.

We are trying to write new code in C rather than Fortran since this gives us much more flexibility in terms of threading and compilers. If you are a Fortran programmer familiar with Starlink programming [[StarlinkCProgramming | some useful hints are available]]. 

== History ==

If you are interested in the history of Starlink there is a lot of documentation available.

 * The [[Bulletins | Starlink Bulletin]] was published between January 1988 and August 2004.

 * [[ http://starlink.jach.hawaii.edu/bulletins/fac1996.pdf | Starlink Software Facilities brochure 1996 ]].

 * The [[Chronicle | Starlink Chronicle]] logged notable events and staff changes.