3.2 Test of installation of the computer algebra programs 

1.  Click on the  button in the assistant's strip, to open the associated palette of tools (or toolbar) (cf. Fig. 3.1).
2.  Click on the button TEST SCF of this toolbar. This opens a command window of Windows in which all programs of computer algebra will be launched successively. Resize and displace this window so that your desktop has more or less the aspect of Fig. 3.1 (modulo the fact that, under Windows 9x, the characters of the command window are displayed in white on a black background, instead of blue on yellow background as on the figure).  

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   Figure 3.1 Launching the test of the computer algebra programs from the button TEST SCF of the toolbar Alg\Calfor01 (Generalities on Computer Algebra), under Windows NTx.

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   If the command window is not displayed and that you get an error message, refer to sec.   10.1 to correct it, and restart the test. If the window is displayed, the program of test starts with launching a few configurations (cf. the first two lines of the command window Rosetta, in Fig. 3.1): the computer algebra program Macaulay then, under Windows NTx, the previewer of PostScript files Gsview² .

   The computer algebra programs without Graphical User's Interface (GUI) are launched then, starting with CoCoA. For every computer algebra software, the program of test displays the character indicating an end of command, and the command to type to quit the software. For CoCoA, it points out that the character indicating the end of a command is the semicolon, and that the command to quit CoCoA is Quit; or Ctrl-C (cf.  Fig.   3.1).

   For this quick installation test, we will limit ourselves to verify that the addition works, as well as the command to quit the software.

3.  To verify that installation of CoCoA is correct, type  :

   1+2;  Quit;

4.  After having typed the commands above, Gap is launched. Attention  : the delay to get the Gap prompt (the chain gap>) is long (1 min on a 200 MHz PC). The commands to be typed to test the installation of Gap and to quit it are:

   1+2;  quit;

5.  Macaulay, Maxima, Pari, Singular, Yacas and Jacal are then launched. The commands to be typed are indicated in table 3.1. A copy of everything that is displayed during the test is in the file ast\testcas.log\astex of the CD-ROM.  

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   Program Prompt Addition Quit CoCoA 1+2; Quit; Gap gap> 1+2; quit; Macaulay i1: 1+2 quit Maxima (C1) 1+2; quit(); Pari ? 1+2 quit Singular > 1+2; quit; Yacas In> 1+2; quit; Jacal e0: 1+2; quit(); Table 3.1 Table of the prompts of the CAS without GUI of the CD-ROM, and of the commands to add 1 and 2 and to quit the software.

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6.  Then the four programs with graphic interfaces are launched , Xmaxima 5.5, Xmaxima 5.9.0, WinCoCoA and Giac. The menu option to select to quit each of them and to pass to the next one is indicated in the last but one column of table 3.2. The last column indicates if it is necessary, under Windows 9x, to close the associated command window also, so that the next program can be launched (under Windows NTx, it is not necessary).  

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   Program Addition Quit Next test Xmaxima 5.5 1+2;Enter File / exit No Xmaxima 5.9.0 1+2;Enter File / exit No WinCoCoA 1+2;Ctrl-Enter File / quit Yes Giac 1+2Enter File / quit Yes Table 3.2 Table of prompts of the CAS with GUI of the CD-ROM, and of the commands to add 1 and 2 and to quit the software.

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