Re: [Swarm-Modelling] beginner

[Paul Johnson]

hilit wrote:
> Hello everyone!!
>
>  
>
> I am Hilit Finkler, a PhD student in Zoology, from Israel.
>
> I wish to explore stray cat dynamics in my city by using an individual
> based spatially explicit model.
>
> Problem is, I don't even know how to start!!
>
> I don't have any background in programming.
>
>   
I was in this situation about 10 y ears ago.  Here's what I'd say.  If 
you are willing to invest 6 month full time effort in learning 
Unix/Linux concepts and programming in C, and probably also system 
administration skills, then you can do it.  Otherwise, you'd have to 
hire a programmer to do it for you.

I know a lot of people use MS Windows, but working in it complicates 
everything, at least for me. So get rid of it.  Install the Free 
Operating System Linux, then learn to find your way around in there.  
You'll probably screw up something and re-install. It happens to 
everybody. 

If you install an RPM based Linux distribution, such as RedHat, Fedora, 
or CentOS, then you can probably install Swarm from packages that I 
distribute.  Don't use SUSE, the reasons are numerous, but the biggest 
is that Novell is a crummy company lately.  Many smart people like the 
APT based LInux, such as Debian or Ubuntu, but I don't know much on that 
and can't give you the packages.

Probably it will take you a week of study to learn how to download the 
Linux disks from theinternet and then how to install Linux and do some 
configuration. There are a million HOWTO documents on the web and the 
email support lists are very active.

The graphical interfaces are rather windows like, so they will help you 
get started.  But they will also keep you stupid.  Don't rely on them.  
You need to understand some fundamentals of opening terminals and typing 
commands.  Understand ideas like "shell" and environment.


After Linux is up and you can read your mail and browse the net, then 
start on the programming part of the exercise.  Don't be distracted by 
"integrated development environment" programs.  Just install the editor 
Emacs and learn to make it work.  Use the free compiler gcc. Learn how 
to write a "hello, world" program in c, and from there you are off to 
the races.  Suppose that takes you another 2 weeks of more less full 
time effort.

Then you can install Swarm and try to run the demonstration programs. 

In my web pages, I have some notes about how to do some of these things, 
feel free to browse in  http://pj.freefaculty.org.

>  
>
> I was told by a colleague who has done such a model to begin with a flow
> chart of all the cat behaviours I know, but I feel it is too early for
> me because I know so much about the cats and so little about "making a
> model".
>
>  
>
> Do you have any suggestions for a "green" like me?
>
>  
>
> Thanks,
>
> Hilit
>
>   
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>
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--
Paul E. Johnson                       email: address@hidden
Professor, Political Science          http://pj.freefaculty.org
1541 Lilac Lane, Rm 504                              
University of Kansas                  Office: (785) 864-9086
Lawrence, Kansas 66044-3177           FAX: (785) 864-5700