ASSIST (v1.3-RC3)

ASSIST is a programming environment aimed at providing parallel programmers with user-friendly, efficient, portable, fast ways of implementing parallel applications. It includes a skeleton based parallel programming language (ASSISTcl, cl stands for coordination language) and a set of compiling tools and run time libraries. The ensamble allows parallel programs written using ASSISTcl to be seamlessly run on top of workstation networks and grids supporting POSIX and ACE (the Adaptive Communication Environment, which is an extern, open source library used within the ASSISTcl run time support). ----- 2005 versions ----- [28/07/2005] New astCC and Environment beta version 1.3RC3 July 2005 Release This release, beyond the latest assist compiler, includes all the tools composing the Grid.it Component Framework. The provided environment allows to compile assist programs as stand-alone applications, as well as Grid.it components, and to compose them together, with CCM and WS, into parallel/distributed applications. To install Environment download this script "install.sh". It will download and install the environment, and any needed software from other sources (e.g. ACE, libxml2 ...). Please note that this beta does not check software that may be already installed on your machine, it creates a directory with everything needed. Example: install.sh -d -x -c -a 5.4 /destinationpath downloads, installs everything under the given path, including the component framework, the Xassist GUI and using Ace version 5.4. Launch without parameters to get a simple help. After downloading the archive, in case some compilation step fails, or you need to recompile the compiler with different options, you will find in the astCC1_3/doc directory the documentation about compilation/installation compiler and the tools by hand. Note: Cross architecture compatibility has not been thoroughly tested in this beta version. Please report any problem to the assist development team: mailto:assist(at)di.unipi.it . [10/05/2005] New astCC beta: version 1.3RC2.1 May 2005 release. ( available to Grid.it research groups only ) The new beta release is GCC 3.4 (and hopefully 4.0) compatible. We advice developers having troubles wuth GCC 3.3 to move to the 1.3 beta version of Assist, which we believe it is more stable. We prepared a self-contained package that installs the Assist environments (including Hoc, libxml2, ACE 5.3 and 5.4). You can choose the ACE version, but ACE 5.3 doesn't compile with GCC 3.4. Please note that Assist 1.3 does no longer support the CLAM loader. The new loader in the package is not fully integrated with the environment yet. Depending on your needs, you may have to launch program processes manually. You can contact the Assist team to download the new release of the compiler. [07/03/2005] New astCC patch: version 1.2.1 - March 2005 release. A few changes in the compiler code and in the run-time were needed to ensure GCC 3.4 and 4.0 compatibility (e.g. for Mandrake 10.1 and above). Features and version number did not change, only the release date. You can contact the Assist team to download the new release of the compiler.