Notes for users of VM alphaMELTS 1.5 - 1.8 (Lubuntu 14.04)

[Paula]

alphaMELTS 1.9 introduced a completely new version of the virtual machine, based on Lubuntu 16.04 instead of 14.04. (Ubuntu 16.04 is the last LTS release to properly support 32-bit systems, which is why we chose this over Lubuntu 18.04.) The desktop setup has been tweaked, adding a double-clickable launcher for alphaMELTS, as well as for rhyolite-MELTS. VM alphaMELTS 1.9 also contains a much updated preview of alphaMELTS 2 that is not generally available elsewhere, and a copy of the VMD program (the 32-bit version does not have the full VMD feature set but can be used for basic visualization).

As such, we strongly recommend that you update to the newer version. But if that is not possible for some reason then here is a quick summary of the old version for the bits that have changed:

Once you start the virtual machine you are logged in as the user 'melts' with a password that is the former name of alphaMELTS, as detailed here. You will need the password for this and some other system maintenance e.g. to check for Lubuntu security updates. To update VirtualBox Guest Additions:

• Start the MELTS Lubuntu machine.
• Select 'Devices'->'Insert Guest Additions CD image...' and click OK to open it in File Manager.
• Open a Terminal and navigate to the CD location using 'cd'. You can use Right-click to Copy and Paste the location from the File Manager to the command line. Alternatively, you can type 'cd /media/melts/VBOX' (or 'cd /media/VBOX', if appropriate) and then press the tab key before return. It should autocomplete the location.
• Type 'sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run' (or 'sudo ./VBoxLinux' and then the tab key) and press the return key.
• Enter the password and then wait while it removes the old version and installs the new one.

The default desktop has icons for programs that will be useful for running alphaMELTS and rhyolite-MELTS placed next the start menu. From left to right, they are:

• LXTerminal - needed to start rhyolite-MELTS and for running alphaMELTS in command line mode
• Leafpad - a text editor with Windows-like short cuts (e.g. ctrl-C, ctrl-V for copy and paste respectively)
• Gnumeric - a simple spreadsheet program that is nice as it opens space delimited text files automatically
• File Manager - a file manager that opens in the melts user's home space
• Web browser - Firefox
• Customize tool - to change look and feel of the Desktop e.g. font sizes
• File Manager - PCManFM that opens in the melts user's home space

There is a link on the Desktop to keep the Lubuntu operating system up to date. Also on the Desktop is a link to the Shared folder, which should point to a folder on the host operating system (see the VM alphaMELTS installation instructions for more details). If you open LXTerminal you can get to the Shared folder files by typing 'cd Desktop/Shared'.

There is a folder called alphaMELTS that contains links to the scripts that can be double-clicked, though getting this to work is finicky (the desktop launcher in VM alphaMELTS 1.9 is a little easier). There may be a Desktop icon for rhyolite-MELTS that you can double-click and it will open rhyolite-MELTS with the LXTerminal so that you can choose between rhyolite-MELTS 1.0.2, 1.1.0, 1.2.0, and pMELTS. If it can be double-clicked, it will have an icon with a stylized AFM plot with an 'M' in the middle. If it has a cog icon, then you should not double-click it; instead open LXTerminal and type 'Melts-rhyolite'.

As of November 30th, 2017, VM alphaMELTS also contains Jon Snow's Meltsout program.

Paula