W. M. Keck Observatory
DEIMOS VNC Startup Procedure

Background

This document describes the steps involved in bringing up the DEIMOS software in a VNC environment to be shared with a team of observers at a mainland site. The Waimea steps are meant to be performed by a support astronomer.

Procedures for Waimea Personnel

  1. Contact summit staff and ask for permission to run the guider and deimos. Coordinate with them if configurations need to be completed.
  2. Log in. Log into hanauma and kealoha using assigned DEIMOS numbered account (deimosNN).
  3. Check VNC servers. From the pulldown menu (or InstrMenu widget), select 
     VNC > VNC Status
    If the servers are running, this should return a display a list showing 7 servers: 
    	# Display    Desktop                  User         PID          
	# -------    -------                  ----         ---          
	:1           deimos-deimos2-telstatus     deimos2        19102        
	:2           deimos-deimos2-control0      deimos2        19122        
	:3           deimos-deimos2-control1      deimos2        19156        
	:4           deimos-deimos2-control2      deimos2        19217        
	:5           deimos-deimos2-analysis0     deimos2        19275        
	:6           deimos-deimos2-analysis1     deimos2        19328        
	:7           deimos-deimos2-analysis2     deimos2        19387
  4. If no servers are listed, then restart the servers as follows:
    • In a local window, enter the command 
      kixrsh k2vncserver
      to obtain a window on the Keck II VNC server.
    • In this winwo, enter the command: 
      kvnc start servers
      and wait for this command to complete.
    • Check the VNC status again to verify that 7 servers are running.
  5. Close instr_menu located in the upper left of each display. An instr_menu will appear in the VNC session.
  6. Launch instrument control VNC viewers. From the pulldown menu on hanauma, select 
    	VNC > Start VNC CONTROL viewers
    This should cause an xterm window to appear on all 3 screens of hanauma, prompting for a password. Note that these windows will appear in the upper left window of the Virtual Desktop. Type the standard VNC password into each of the xterm windows. You should then get a VNC window on each screen on hanauma:
    • hanauma:0 should show a PSEUDOCOLOR workspace with a tan background called deimos-deimosNN-control0.
    • hanauma:1 should show a PSEUDOCOLOR workspace with a tan background called deimos-deimosNN-control1.
    • hanauma:2 should show a PSEUDOCOLOR workspace with a tan background called deimos-deimosNN-control2.
  7. Launch analysis VNC viewers. From the pulldown menu on hanauma, select 
    	VNC > Start VNC ANALYSIS viewers
    This should cause another xterm window to appear on all 3 screens of hanauma, prompting for a password. Note that these windows will appear in the upper left window of the Virtual Desktop. Type the standard VNC password into each of the xterm windows. You should then get a VNC window on each screen on hanauma:
    • hanauma:0 should show a TRUECOLOR workspace with a red background called deimos-deimosNN-analysis0.
    • hanauma:0 should show a TRUECOLOR workspace with a red background called deimos-deimosNN-analysis1.
    • hanauma:0 should show a TRUECOLOR workspace with a red background called deimos-deimosNN-analysis2.
  8. Launch instrument applications.
    • In the control0 workspace (left-hand monitor, tan VNC window), use the OpenWindows pulldown menu to select: 
      	DEIMOS Control Menu > Start all DEIMOS GUIs
    • Follow typical DEIMOS startup procedure.
  9. Launch telescope VNC viewer. From the pulldown menu on kealoha, select: VNC > Start VNC TELSTATUS viewer An xterm window will appear, prompting for a password. Type the standard VNC password into the xterm window. You should then get a VNC window in PSEUDOCOLOR mode (tan background) called deimos-deimosNN-telstatus .
  10. Launch telescope applications. In the telstatus VNC viewer window, launch tools using the background menu within the VNC window:
    • Launch guider eavesdrop window via: 
      	Guider eavesdropping > Start eavesdrop
    • Launch FACSUM window via: 
      	K2 telescope status > FACSUM
    • Launch Xmet via: 
      	K2 telescope status > Xmet
At this point, all should be set up properly and mainland observing team can connect using their scripts.

Procedures for Mainland Personnel

  1. Establish video link. Open polycom connection to Keck II remote ops.
  2. Launch VNC software. Verify with Keck personnel that VNC servers and up and running, then launch VNC viewers per instructions from Bob Kibrick.

Operational tests

  1. Acquire an FCS image
    • type goifcs in a deimosserver (polo) window.
    • use the "tk" figdisp control window to verify that an fcs images was acquired.
  2. Acquire a science bias
    • set the CCD ReadOut to Spectral
    • set the CCD ObsType to Bias
    • click the Expose button to initiate data taking
    • use the ds9 display window to verify that an image was acquired.
  3. Verify that the guider is updating with images. You will need to run the guider software to make the test. You should have gotten permission from the summit staff to make this test.

See Also

Go to: Mainland Observing Home Page - Instruments Home Page - Keck Home Page
Last modified: Tue Sep 19 14:09:09 HST