Working in computational physics from under Windows?
I do. I still log on to the computational cluster via SSH, but so do people from under Linux. However, most of the programs I use, have more capabilities or are more convenient than their Unix analogues. So the need for Linux on my desktop is eliminated.
Here I would discuss some tricks/adjustments/settings that make my work more pleasant and productive. Mostly it touches my work with SIESTA, but people writing their own programs in C or Fortran may also find it useful.
- I already wrote about using Notepad++ for syntax highlighting in SIESTA input/output files.
- One more post about customizing the FTP client and using it together with putty is under way.
- I used XcrySDen for visualization for a long time. The main problem was to install it under cygwin. If anybody tried and failed but is still interested how to do it, leave your comments, and maybe I’ll write about it.
- But recently I found another tool that covers my needs for visualisation of grid data: VESTA
- Another tool without which I cannot live anymore for creation of all my structure files is Accelrys Discovery Studio Visualizer (free). You can move separate atoms or parts of the molecules in a visual environment. Animation of .ANI output files is also done in one click.
I would like to hear your comments on why you choose to work from under Linux? (I assume that’s true in 99% of cases. If not, let me know)
Please, leave your comments if you have any specific tools/needs/problems to discuss.
Tags: editor, ftp, linux, optimization, Productivity, programming, SIESTA, usability, windows