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Chapter 1 - Downloading and Installing ProtoCollum

Downloading ProtoCollum

The ProtoCollum software tool is available as a downloadable file.

Using the website

New users will find the following assistance on the Bellum website:

• The latest versions of ProtoCollum documentation are released to this page.
• An FAQ and a list of known bugs is found on the Support page.

Getting the tool

The ProtoCollum tool can be download from the website for trial and evaluation. A license is required to run the tool. A 30 day no obligation trial license is also available from the website. Please go here to download ProtoCollum.

For orders of multiple licenses and all other sales questions, please contact us at sales@bellum.biz.

Installing ProtoCollum

Specific directions for installing the tool from the download file are included in the file itself. Some general information about the installation procedure is given here.

What's in the Download?

The download file is a compressed tar file that contains everything needed to run and use the tool. The following items are found in the download file:

• ProtoCollum program files: executeables, libraries, images, etc.
• A /doc directory which contains documentation for the tool (in html format).
• A /demo directory which has a number of small protocol samples.
• Some number of add-on packages which can be accessed via the menu at File>Manage Packages....
• A limited license.

The license inside the download file gives the tool limited functionality. Only one file can be opened at a time, and a protocol description is limited to a system with 20 or fewer messages. To run the tool with full capabilities, go to the download page on the website and click on

to obtain a 30 day trial license.

The most important add-on package is the trc (trace) package. It provides a trace window which can be used when executing a protocol on a Test Sheet. It shows a trace of the code being executed and state contents for any selected Petest on the sheet.

Doing the Installation

The download file will have a filename suffix of .tar.gz. The file contents need to be uncompressed and extracted from the tar format. This can be done with this command:

tar -zxvf <filename>.tar.gz

The file will uncompress and extract into a build/install directory which will have a name of this form:

{download}
    |- protocollum-v1.3/	# build/install directory

Inside this directory is a README.txt file that contains specific directions on how to install the tool components to their final working destinations. After completion of installation, the following working directory and files will be created:

{prefix}/lib
          |- protocollum-1.3/   # application directory

{prefix}/bin
          |- protocollum        # bash wrapper for GUI 
          |- protocollumsh      # bash wrapper for text-only shell

If the directory {prefix}/bin is already on the application search PATH, then no other action is necessary to run the tool. Otherwise the PATH variable needs to modifed to include this directory.

Verifying the Installation

Installation Test

If installation completed properly, the tool can be started by simply typing:

protocollum &

Common Problems

Please see the FAQ on the website for installation tips.