Socket Station – Download and Installation

Socket Station runs as a daemon on Unix-based systems, and as a service on Windows. There is no client application to install; instead you interact with the server via the command line, or via a telnet connection to its control port (usually 2323).

Java™ Environment

Socket Station runs via Java to support the widest variety of operating systems.

The 'java' command must be executable from Socket Station's shell.  This is automatic on Macs. For Windows, this is automatic once you install Java. For Unix-based systems you may have to set the JAVA_HOME environmental variable for Augur's user account; point it to Java's home directory.  If that is not possible, please contact us for instructions. You can get Java here: http://java.com/

Java Vendor

Macs should use the Java implementation supplied by Apple. All other platforms should use the Java implementation supplied by Oracle (formerly Sun). (There are known problems with the GNU and IBM versions of Java on Linux.)

Java Version

Socket Station runs best on the latest Java 6 (also called 1.6)

64-bit Java

For 64-bit server operating systems, you may wish to install a 64-bit implementation of Java, if available for your operating system.

License Key

Socket Station is a licensed product that requires a key.  However, it will run for three days at a time without a key, so you can try it out.  Restart is as many times as you need. Please contact us when you're ready for a permanent key.

Firewalls

You will usually define listener and/or talker ports for each Socket Station channel. These TCP ports may need to be open for remote connections, depending on your network design. Additionally, if you want to remotely access Socket Station's control port (usually 2323), then you will need to open this TCP port as well. Two other TCP ports to be considered are the "log.port" and "remote.port", as defined in the ~/data/SocketStation.properties file.

Unix/Linux/Mac

1. Create a working directory, e.g. /opt/socketstation or ~/socketstation/
2. Put the tarball into your working directory. Download (11 Mb)
3. Unzip/untar it: tar xvfz station.tar.gz
4. In Socket Station's 'bin' directory: ./socketstation -f (Starts the server)

Uninstall

To uninstall the server, shutdown (~/bin/socketstation -c kill), then delete the installation directory.

Windows

1. Get the MSI file. Download (13 Mb)
2. Run the SocketStation.msi file, and follow the short installation wizard. 
3. The MSI will install and start the Socket Station "service".

Uninstall

To uninstall, use the "Add or Remove Programs" tool, in the Windows "Control Panel". You may have to manually delete the installation directory, usually at C:\Program Files\SocketStation\

Quick Demo

After installation...

1. Move into Socket Station's "bin" directory.
2. [Unix/Linux/Mac]  ./mockserver -p 1111 &
   [Windows]  MockServer.exe -p 1111
   (Runs a mock data source on port 1111.  It transmits the current time every 5 seconds.)
3. telnet localhost 2323
   Connects to control port.  Try: ls -l (Those are ells, not ones.)
   start 1 (Start the MockServer channel, which is usually number 1.)
   ls -l (Verify that the channel's status is now "online".)
4. telnet localhost 7777
   Connects as "listener" to the mockserver channel.  (Watch data stream.)
5. telnet localhost 8888
   Connect as "talker" to the mockserver channel.  (Interact with data stream.)
6. Try the new web interface at http://localhost:8383/ (Initial password is "alpha".)