Unidata AWIPS 18.2.1-5 Software Release

AWIPS 18.2.1-5 is a new release to both EDEX and CAVE. More information is listed below.

EDEX Updates

• Updated Models Menu, re-ordered models to show the most commonly used
• Added National Blended Models products to LDM and Menus
• GFE works again with OAX localization
• GOES Updates:
  • Added new RGB + Derived Products readout menu items
  • Updated menu items for Dust vs Smoke Aerosol Detection to include a "High, Med, and Low" Confidence products
  • Added new Day/Night Plumes and Day Cloud Type RGB menus
  • Commented out quality flags for some derived products that were getting cut-off when plotting (This was from the recommendation of Lee Byerle).
  • Updated colorbar range in the styleRules for Land Surface Skin Product
  • Updated colorbar in the styleRules for Night Fog Channel Difference (11.2-3.9)
  • Added Fire/Hot Spot data to GOES-E Mesoscale Sectors
  • Updated configurations for Stitched GLM data (not yet available via IDD)
  • Added additional indices in the DMW database table to help with performance

CAVE Updates

• Reconfigured CAVE connections to Unidata's EDEX (so connections are only made to edex-cloud.unidata.ucar.edu and not IP addresses)
• Added a checkbox for resolving IP addresses for CAVE connections on CAVE start-up
• Added new drawing preferences for WWA Resources (users can now select if Watches, Warnings and Advisories are displayed with an outline, thatched, time, and/or text)
• Small change to the Warngen Dialog so the buttons are centered properly

---

How to Install AWIPS 18.2.1-5

ℹ️ If you have a machine where you are wanting both CAVE and EDEX installed, install EDEX first, then CAVE

⚠️ Do not use yum update, use the awips_install.sh and this will remove old builds of CAVE/EDEX before installing new versions

EDEX Instructions:

  Linux

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:
   • chmod 755 awips_install.sh
4. Run the installer as root
   • ./awips_install.sh --server
5. Start EDEX
   • sudo edex start

ℹ️ If this is the first time installing EDEX on a server, you may need to configure a few additional settings. More detailed instructions can be found here.

CAVE Instructions:

  Linux

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:
   • chmod 755 awips_install.sh
4. Run the installer as root
   • ./awips_install.sh --cave
5. Remove caveData
   • rm -rf ~/caveData
6. Start CAVE by opening a terminal
   • cave

  Windows

1. Make sure you have the required pre-requisites installed
2. Remove old builds of CAVE.
3. Download and Install: awips-cave.msi
4. Start CAVE by clicking on the CAVE icon on your Desktop

  MacOS

1. If you haven't already, download and Install: awips-python.pkg for jep to work properly
2. Remove previously installed CAVE by finding the icon (likely in the Applications folder) and dragging it to the trash.
3. Remove caveData if it exists
   • rm -rf /Users/<user>/Library/caveData
4. Download and Install: awips-cave.dmg
5. Start CAVE by selecting System Menu Go > Applications > CAVE

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For notifications of the latest updates from the AWIPS team, sign up for the AWIPS mailing list. Questions or suggestions for the team, let us know at [email protected]

Unidata AWIPS 18.2.1-4 Software Release

AWIPS 18.2.1-4 is a new release to both EDEX (on Linux Centos7/RHEL7 only). More information is listed below.

EDEX Updates

• Fixed an issue with EDEX ingest failing to starting up (#412)
• Updated the awips_install.sh install script
  • Added checks to check for wget and rsync and install if they aren't installed (#410)
  • Updated the "backup" section - gives users the option to not backup data
  • Only backs up the ldm/etc and ldm/dev directories instead of the full LDM directory (#411)
  • Added a line to clean the metadata in the awips2 repo (noticed some issues when installing a new build on
    a machine that previously had AWIPS installed pointing to the same location but had updated rpms).
  • Added a change to set the LDM_PORT for server installs

CAVE Updates

No updates were made to CAVE, however on linux, the latest build version is now 18.2.1-4

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How to Install AWIPS 18.2.1-4

ℹ️ If you have a machine where you are wanting both CAVE and EDEX installed, install EDEX first, then CAVE

⚠️ Do not use yum update, use the awips_install.sh and this will remove old builds of CAVE/EDEX before installing new versions

EDEX Instructions:

  Linux

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:
   • chmod 755 awips_install.sh
4. Run the installer as root
   • ./awips_install.sh --server
5. Start EDEX
   • sudo edex start

Unidata AWIPS 18.2.1-3 Software Release

AWIPS 18.2.1-3 is a new release to both EDEX and CAVE (on Windows, MacOS, and Centos7/RHEL7). More information is listed below.

ℹ️ It is recommended both CAVE and EDEX versions be the same

EDEX Updates

• Updating/consolidating Satellite menu with new GOES data
  • New GOES West derived products
  • New GOES Fire Mask products
  • New GLM Flash Points
• Updated LDM from version 6.13.11 to 6.13.16
• Added functionality (and additional plugins) for EDEX to check and update the latest station information daily (for METAR, Upper Air, Radar, etc. products)
• Several updates related to GLM Data:
  • AWIPS GLM data distribution will soon be migrated from Texas Tech to a source from NWS. This release includes configurations for both GLM datasets.
  • The menu items have been updated for the new data feed which the Unidata EDEX is ingesting and displaying.
  • For EDEX's run locally, access to the Texas Tech distribution is still available through the product browser (product names end with "_TT"). We will send out another notice when Unidata is distributing the NWS GLM data via IDD.
• Added support for Snow Squall Warnings (SQ.W)

Bug fixes:

• Update modelsounding plugin to decode new modelsounding data
• Fix units for Absolute Vorticity and Vertical Shear
• Update the roles authentication to handle usernames containing a space, to reduce warnings in the logs
• Fix wrong radar name from KTDX to KDTX
• Fix plotting of Q/F vectors for Windows CAVE

CAVE Updates

• Several small changes to the Warngen Dialog:
  • Changed the default size to accommodate smaller screens/different resolutions
  • Added the ability to resize and gave priority to the action list
  • Changed action list behavior (for some OS's) so that selecting an action does not reset to the beginning of the list
• Changed default size of Import GIS Dialog to fit on smaller screens
• Added ability to display more Watches, Warnings, and Advisories
• The startup connection window now defaults the specified EDEX to Unidata's EDEX (edex-cloud.unidata.ucar.edu) if no default is specified in caveData (this was already included in the previous MacOS minor release)
• Removed all instances of the word "bundle" for clarity and to align with our documentation

⚠️ GOES RGB composites are not supported on macOS or in Virtual Machines due to OpenGL Shading Language limitations

---

How to Install AWIPS 18.2.1-3

ℹ️ If you have a machine where you are wanting both CAVE and EDEX installed, install EDEX first, then CAVE

⚠️ Do not use yum update, use the awips_install.sh and this will remove old builds of CAVE/EDEX before installing new versions

EDEX Instructions:

  Linux

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:
   • chmod 755 awips_install.sh
4. Run the installer as root
   • ./awips_install.sh --server
5. Start EDEX
   • sudo edex start

CAVE Instructions:

  Linux

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:
   • chmod 755 awips_install.sh
4. Run the installer as root
   • ./awips_install.sh --cave
5. Remove caveData
   • rm -rf ~/caveData
6. Start CAVE by opening a terminal
   • cave

  Windows

1. Make sure you have the required pre-requisites installed
2. Remove old builds of CAVE.
3. Download and Install: awips-cave.msi
4. Start CAVE by clicking on the CAVE icon on your Desktop

  MacOS

1. If you haven't already, download and Install: awips-python.pkg for jep to work properly
2. Remove previously installed CAVE by finding the icon (likely in the Applications folder) and dragging it to the trash.
3. Remove caveData if it exists
   • rm -rf /Users/<user>/Library/caveData
4. Download and Install: awips-cave.dmg
5. Start CAVE by selecting System Menu Go > Applications > CAVE

---

For notifications of the latest updates from the AWIPS team, sign up for the AWIPS mailing list. Questions or suggestions for the team, let us know at [email protected]

Unidata AWIPS 18.2.1-1 Software Release

Release Notes:

AWIPS 18.2.1-1 is a major update to both EDEX and CAVE (on Windows, MacOS, and Centos7/RHEL7). More information is listed below.

• The linux awips_install.sh script has been updated to remove old versions of CAVE and EDEX before installing new versions and backup some /awips2 configuration files.
• While old versions of CAVE will connect to the new EDEX, the menus will be outdated and we strongly suggest you update CAVE.

EDEX Updates

• Moved all Satellite, MRMS, and Model menus to EDEX side
  • With the continuing updates to these products, this makes it easier for the menus to be updated on the EDEX side, rather than having every user update their CAVE version
• Updating/consolidating Satellite menu with new GOES data
  • Menu items only for products that exist (no blank menu items)
  • New GOES East/West Combo products
  • New GOES derived products
  • New GOES RGB products
  • New CIRA Geocolor, Debra Dust, and Cloud/Snow RGB products
  • New derived motion winds for GOES East/West
  • New gridded GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) products for GOES-East (via Dr. Eric Bruning)
  • New GOES-East Vertical Temperature/Dewpoint Profiles
  • New VIIRS data - NOAA20 and SNPP
• Full MRMS Product Suite (V12.1) decodes and displays
  • Getting products directly from NCO instead of limited product suite on NOAAPort - these are available to all Universities via Unidata’s IDD
  • Products for new areas: Guam, Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawaii
• New CIMSS ProbSevere product available in CAVE and via Unidata’s IDD
• New HRRR Smoke products available in CAVE
• Updates to ldmd.conf and pqact.conf LDM files for new products
• Moved from Global GFS .25 degree to 1 degree with the latest GFS updates
• Add menu items for Convective Warnings
• Added the impact based warning templates into Warngen
• Updates to the maps database for changes made to counties back in fall of last year

CAVE Updates

• Added Import GIS option to import shapefiles into CAVE
• Created WFO and Regional bundle scales for each WFO
• Removed GEMPAK button

MacOS Specific:

• Fixed Screen Capture Capability
• Fixed cross section capability
• Jep functionality should work for all derived parameters
• The CAVE installers for Mac are now officially signed and notarized by UCAR and Apple

⚠️ GOES RGB composites are not supported on macOS due to OpenGL Shading Language limitations

Windows Specific:

• Jep is needed in order to display derived products. We have updated the Windows install instructions to reflect the correct steps as well as created a youtube video to follow along.

Virtual Machine Specific:

⚠️ GOES RGB composites are not supported virtual machines due to OpenGL Shading Language limitations

How to Install 18.2.1

Linux

⚠️ Do not use yum update, use the awips_install.sh to remove old builds of CAVE/EDEX

EDEX

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:

• chmod 755 awips_install.sh

4. Run the installer as root

• ./awips_install.sh --server

5. Start EDEX

• sudo edex start

CAVE

1. Download the latest awips_install.sh
2. In a terminal, go to the download directory
3. Make the installer an executable:

• chmod 755 awips_install.sh

4. Run the installer as root

• ./awips_install.sh --cave

5. Start CAVE by opening a terminal

• cave

Windows

1. Make sure you have the required pre-requisites installed
2. Download and Install: awips-cave.msi

MacOS

1. Download and Install: awips-python.pkg for jep to work properly
2. Download and Install: awips-cave.dmg
3. Remove /Users/<user>/Library/caveData

---

To get notified of the latest updates from the AWIPS team, sign up for the AWIPS mailing list. Questions or suggestions for the team, let us know at [email protected]

Unidata AWIPS 18.1.1-6

• Updates to Surface, NCEP/Hydro, Upper Air menus and bundles, including return of SIGMET/AIRMET menu.
• Fix for the reprojection of MetarSurfaceTemp data.
• Fix coloring of MetarSurfaceTemp data to avoid rendering of point data as black-on-black.
• Added RTOFS to LDM/EDEX, as well as CAVE menus and data bundles.
• Linux-specific fix for CAVE to allow for RPM updates.
• Linux-specific EDEX dependency updates to include net-tools.
• LDM updated to version 6.13.10.

To update CAVE for Linux (as root):

yum clean all
yum groupupdate awips2-cave 

To update EDEX for Linux (as root):

edex stop
yum clean all
yum groupupdate awips2-server
edex start

Unidata AWIPS 18.1.1-5

AWIPS 18.1.1-5 is a major update to both CAVE and EDEX, including a security update to the latest httpd/mod_wsgi packages.

• EDEX administrators should be aware that localization levels have changed, and Unidata AWIPS no longer supports REGION, DESK, or WORKSTATION levels.
• EDEX administrators should be aware that USER-level localization names have been merged with the WORKSTATION name, that is, what used to be USER awips will now be USER awips@<workstation name>
• It may be required that EDEX admins migrate saved USER procedures and bundles to the new naming system, which may be tedious, but is necessary for use of CAVE in a classroom and lab setting going forward. This update prevents users from overwriting each other's customizations if they happen to have the same username.

CAVE Updates

• Reorganized File Menu for saving and loading bundles, procedures, and perspectives.

• D2D default view switched to 5-pane with GOES E/W geostationary views, plus regional and local views.

• New GOES Geostationary perspective multi-view bundles loaded from the Satellite menu.
  

• New menu items for GOES 17 (GOES West) sectors WCONUS, WFD, WMESO-1, WMESO-2, AKREGI, HIREGI.

• WWA (Watch, Warn, Advisory) plugin display updates with phensig color table and full text on sampling. These new bundles are located in the Surface menu, available for flood, wind, marine, as well as All Warnings and Convective Watches.
  

• Fix for the Linux GFE Perspective to sync required files to run gfeConfig correctly (Yes, GFE actually runs again, good luck!)

EDEX Updates

• Removal of REGION, DESK, and WORKSTATION localization level. Any configuration or setting which used the DESK or WORKSTATION levels will now use SITE instead. This makes for only 3 localization levels to manage in Unidata AWIPS from 18.1.1-5 onward: 1) BASE (default), 2) SITE (e.g. OAX), and 3) USER.
• More efficient thread control for the ingestGrib JVM in /awips2/edex/etc/ingestGrib.sh rather than using definitions in /awips2/edex/conf/resources/.
• Updated the /etc/init.d/edex_ldm wrapper to allow for the use of ldmadmin clean as root.
• Fixed a bug with Python environments when running edex qpid as root.
• Updated pqact.conf to include GOES 17 products, as well as a fix to ingest both METOP-A and B ascat files.

RPM package updates for Linux

• awips2-httpd-pypies updated to 2.4.38 (security update)
• mod_wsgi updated to 4.6.5 (security update)
• pyparsing updated to 2.3.1
• pytz updated to 2018.9
• six updated to 1.12.0
• setuptools (ADE) updated to 40.7.3

How to Update/Install 18.1.1-5

• windows https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/awips2/awips-cave.msi
• macOS: https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/awips2/awips-cave.dmg
• linux CAVE:
  • yum clean all
  • yum groupupdate awips2-cave
• linux EDEX:
  • edex stop
  • yum groupupdate awips2-server
  • edex start

More Info at https://unidata.github.io/awips2/

AWIPS 18.1.1-3

18.1.1-3 is a minor update for Linux CAVE and EDEX (no updates to macOS or Windows)

• Added a new GEMPAK display plugin to the D2D perspective
• Cleaned up paths available to CAVE in the Localization Perspective
• Cleanup grid name aliasing to avoid multiple names for a single grid (NAM40 vs NAMWX)
• Fix to reset the manual ingest endpoint to /awips2/data_store/ingest/
• Cleanup/remove GFE service backup utility
• Updates to "edex start" service manager
• Minor updates and fixes merged from NWS development baseline (Hydro apps trace precipitation display, GFE Fosberg fire weather index, GFE Haines index, Grib1 decoding updates)

Updated el6/el7 RPMs for 18.1.1-3

• awips2-cave-18.1.1-3
• awips2-cave-wrapper-18.1.1-3
• awips2-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-cots-18.1.1-3
• awips2-common-base-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-base-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-common-core-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-core-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-cots-18.1.1-3
• awips2-edex-dataplugins-18.1.1-3
• awips2-python-awips-18.1.6-1

AWIPS 18.1.1-2 Updates

This is a minor release for EDEX only (no CAVE updates):

• edex status will mute EDEXregistry if Data Delivery/OGC plugins are not installed.
  Data Delivery/OGC plugins are not being used currently, but work is ongoing to incorporate them into EDEX (more on this in the future).
• New awips2-python-scipy RPM for CentOS 7.
• FNMOC grid names corrected in awips2-edex-dataplugins.
• Updated awips2-ldm and awips2-edex to remove the edex setup command from post-RPM scripts, and from EDEX startup, to avoid overwriting user edits to the LDM registry.
• "edex setup" will be a required command after install and before starting EDEX services.

To update:

yum clean all
yum groupupdate awips2-server

Unidata AWIPS 18.1.1-1

Release Notes

CAVE Changes and Updates

• Windows CAVE 18.1.1
  https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/awips2/awips-cave-18.1.1-1.msi
  • Requires Python 3.7, Jep (3.8.2), and NumPy (>1.7).
  • $PYTHONHOME must be defined for full functionality using gridslice and jep.
  • The MSI installer will attempt to copy the gridslice shared library to $PYTHONHOME/Dlls. If the $PYTHONHOME environmental variable is not defined, gridslice will not be installed.
  • You can always rerun the installer after defining $PYTHONHOME and then check that the file gridslice.pyd is installed in $PYTHONHOME/Dlls.
  • Windows CAVE will run without gridslice, but certain bundles which use derived parameters, such as isentropic analyses, will not load.
• New D2D CAVE macOS client
  https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/awips2/awips-cave-18.1.1-1.dmg
• New CentOS 6 and 7 client
  wget https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/awips2/awips_install.sh
chmod 755 awips_install.sh
./awips_install.sh --cave
• New CloudAWIPS release 18.1.1-1
  https://github.com/Unidata/CloudAWIPS/blob/master/README.md
• GOES-17 ABI sectors TCONUS and TFD
• Fix CAVE crash when starting GFE for non-activated site.
• Updates to allow dynamic contributions to the Volume Browser.
• Search By Name has been added to the Localization Perspective.

EDEX Changes and Updates

• Fix serialization errors which prevented IPv6 addresses from connecting.
• Derived Parameter functions synced to client CAVE sessions are now Python 2 and 3-compliant.
• Support for variable header length in PNG-compressed McIDAS AREA files (UNIWISC)
• Database reconfiguration (moved from /awips2/data to /awips2/database/data, now with 'awipsadmin' ownership).
• New roles/permissions framework to replace nwsauth from versions 17.1.1 and before.
• pqact.conf added Jason-3 altimeter data feed
• pqact.conf cleanup of removed products and duplicate pattern actions
• Updates to the Qpid Broker and Localization REST configuration including Protected File status.

Development Notes

• Refactored gridslice.c source code for a Python 3 environment.
• New viz method IGLMesh for easier extensibility
• Ability to handle derived parameter cubes at a single point
• ADE updates for Eclipse 4.6.1
• Geotools updated to 16.4
• Cython updated to 0.28.3
• httpd-pypies updated to 2.4.27
• python-dateutil updated to 2.7.3
• qpid-lib updated to 1.38.0
• werkzeug updated to 0.14.1
• yajsw updated to 12.09
• python-awips updated to 18.1.1

Future Development

• Inclusion of new AWIPS Hazards plugins for decision assistance (new product generation tools and hydro configurations to integrate with WarnGen and the Hydro perspective).
• New Space Weather Prediction Center plugins for Geomagnetic Data, Solar Imagery, Generic High Cadence Data, and Time Series displays).
• Unidata now has the source code to build 64-bit Hydro Applications (these Hydroapps were supplied as 32-bit binaries in the Vlab source code repositories, which were disabled in previous Unidata AWIPS releases).
• OGC and Data Delivery plugins will be made available in the 18.1.1 release as an optional add-on to a standard EDEX Data Server installation (two additional RPMs).
• OHD and Hydro Applications will also be made available as optional EDEX add-ons in the awips2-edex-dat and awips2-hydroapps RPMs.

https://unidata.github.io/awips2/install/

Unidata AWIPS 17.1.1-6

17.1.1-6 Release Notes

• WarnGen fix: for practice sessions, the WarnGen app no longer uses JMS to send/verify messages between client and server, instead sending the generated message directly to a TextWS window for editing, keeping everything client-side (see #217)
• postgis update to 2.4.4 to fix segfault signal 11 when WarnGen requests EDEX PostgreSQL to create coverage area geometries (see #183)
• geos update to 3.6.2
• gdal update to 2.2.4
• proj update to 5.1.0
• postgresql and psql update to 9.5.13 to account for new versions of postgis, gdal, and proj, and to remove the geos dependency.
• shapely update to 1.6.4 after geos dep update to 3.6.2
• NCP Resource Manager cleanup of unused resources.
• Removed NSHARP D2D dependency on PGEN shapes.

Important links

• CAVE installation instructions
• EDEX installation instructions
• Distributed EDEX installation instructions

Update

To completely remove and reinstall EDEX:

• edex stop
• yum groupremove awips2-server
• yum clean all
• yum groupinstall awips2-server
• edex start