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HOW-TO access the graphical version of Mathematica
at Concordia University College of Alberta
using a PC running Microsoft Windows

by Thomas Miesbauer (realmec@web.de )

highly recommended: High-Speed-Internet-Access and/or cheap online rates

Be aware that during the following steps you will have to download a large amount of data.
Also make sure to close all of your programs that are running at the moment. Then,

1. surf to http://www.cygwin.com
2. click on "install or update now!"
3. Windows will ask you whether to open the file or to save it to disk. Open it.
4. Always read all the instructions the window tells you. Click on "Next".
5. On the next page choose "Install from Internet" and click on "Next".
6. Select where to install Cygwin, leave the other values at their defaults and again click on "Next".
7. Select where to store the installation files, leave at default if not sure. -> "Next".
8. Select your type of Internet connection. At home, in most cases you would use a direct connection. Make sure you are online. -> "Next".
9. It might take a while now, be patient. After a while, choose one of the available Download Sites. Choose the first address beginning with "http".
10. After a while the "Select Packages" window appears. Scroll down until the category "Net" appears and click on the little "+" right before it.
11. Scroll down again until "openssh: ..." appears in the "Package" column. Click on the icon in the "New" column and choose the highest version available. (highest number)
12. Now scroll down again until you reach the category "XFree86". Open it by clicking the "+" right in it's front.
13. Select the newest version (again highest number) of "XFree86-base". Some packages become selected automatically, leave them selected.
14. Also install the package "gcc" in the category "Devel".
15. Click on "Next". The download starts now and takes a while. Go and have a coffee, that's what i did.
16. When the installation is done finally choose where you would like to have icons and click on ... NO, this time you will have to guess which button to click ;-)
17. Some black screens appear, but they will soon be gone. Cygwin now tells you: "Installation Complete". Click "OK".
18. Cygwin is now available in your programs menu. Start it by clicking on "Cygwin Bash Shell". A black box should appear.
19. Download http://support.wolfram.com/mathematica/systems/unix/interface/PCF.tar.Z (don't mix up lower and upper case letters!) and choose "save it to disk". Go to the directory where you installed Cygwin (by default c:\cygwin), then open the directory "home". Here is one more directory that is named like your login name. Save the file into this directory.
20. Type in "cd", press Enter and type in "tar -xvvzf PCF.tar.Z" (don't mix up lower and upper case letters). This may take a few seconds. When this procedure is finished type "mkdir /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1", press Enter and type in "cd PCF && mv * /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/" (never mix up lower and upper case letters!). Press Enter again.
21. Don't give up, we're almost done now! :-) Type in "mkfontdir /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/" and press Enter again. Close Cygwin by pressing the X in the upper right corner.

1. Start Cygwin.
2. Now type in "startx" and press Enter.
3. Move your mouse cursor over one of the windows and type "ssh -X -l username -p 1022 srv.math.concordia.ab.ca". Replace "username" by your login name. If you are connected to the Internet a connection to Concordia is being established now. When you log in for the first time and after that every once in a while you will be asked a question that you can answer either with "yes" or "no". Be positive, say "yes". After that you will be asked for your password. Use the same that you use down in Math Lab T103. You're in the system now, so let's use Mathematica.
4. Type in "mathematica" followed by Enter. After a while nine thin black-lined rectangles that you can move with your mouse will appear. Since this is your future Mathematica window you might wish to place it in a way that you can see all of it on the screen. Click your left mouse button to confirm your decision. Here we go, have fun with Mathematica!
5. To exit your session open the "File" menu and select "Quit".Then type "logout", Enter "exit", Enter and close the Cygwin window.

That's all!

Department Coordinator: A. N. Tavouktsoglou, Department of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Concordia University College of Alberta, 7128 Ada Boulevard, Edmonton, AB, T5B 4E4, depthead@math.concordia.ab.ca For further information on the Department of Mathematics, please contact the Department Coordinator. Issues relating to the operation of this site are best addressed to the webmaster.