RadioConsole (Possibly referred to as SpiderConsole)
by (C) 2001 Ian Norton, i.norton@lancaster.ac.uk
First Release v1.0, 20010418 (18th April 2001).

1.  Introduction

 This document assumes that you have the JDK or JRE already installed and
working on your machine.  I have no intention of providing a HOWTO on this,
there are plenty out there already. <http://www.blackdown.org> has a list of
JDK/JRE mirror sites for Linux if you don't have it.
 
 If you install the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) you will not be able to
compile the source code, you will only be able to interpret the code that
has already been compiled (Java works by compiling source into byte code,
and then using an interpreter to run the byte code, this is why you must
install some Java stuff, but this is also how it is platform independent).
 If you don't intend to modify or recompile the source code, skip the
programming section, it won't be of any interest to you.
 
 This version of JCAdmin has been tested with the Blackdown port for linux
of the Java Development Kit version 1.3.0 <http://www.blackdown.org/>.          

1.1.  Acknowledgements

 Some time ago I created JCAdmin for my good friends Ian (G0VGS) and Linda 
(G0YLM) Maude.  JCAdmin was designed to be an admin interface to the CLX 
cluster software (http://www.clx.muc.de/).  It was written with the expressed
purpose of performing certain tasks on Ian's cluster and never really intended
to be anything marvelous.  After about a year of using this, Ian decided that
CLX was no longer the software he wanted to use and switched to Dx Spider
(http://www.dxcluster.org).  After much wailing and gnashing of teeth he
persuaded me that perhaps I might like to write a new console for Spider.
After experiencing a brief sense of flashback and "I've been here before" I
decided that it would be a good challenge to write not only a new console but
a framework on which to build future consoles.

This is the approach I have taken with this console.

1.2.  So how do I get this console to talk to something then?

 The console works on the principle that whatever specific task you want to
perform can be done with a plugin.  The console provides a framework for adding
and removing plugins that provide menu items, toolbar buttons and so on.
(Some of these features are planned but havn't yet been implemented fully).

 To take the previously mentioned example, the SpiderCluster plugin can talk
directly to the DX Spider internal protocol engine, thus allowing the user
administrative rights on the cluster whilst they are using the console.

 All sections SPECIFIC to spider are written into the SpiderCluster plugin.
Generic communication modules are then used to get everything to talk.
The next logical addition to the SpiderCluster plugin is a standard Cluster
plugin that allows a user to connect to a spider cluster via IP (Although this
requires some more work before it's actually useful).

 So using the generic framework should make just about anything possible.
Want a graph of WWV/WCY?  Just write a new plugin for it then!

1.3.  Getting it to run.

 Compile all the java files in the src directory simply with javac *.java.
 You should now be able to start the console with java Console.
 By default the SpiderCluster plugin is used and a connect made to
        127.0.0.1:27754.

1.4.  New versions / updates.
 
 New versions of RadioConsole and it's documentation will be made available
 through the DX Spider homepage <http://www.dxcluster.org/>.

1.5.  Feedback
 
 Please mail me your comments, observations and suggestions for features or
improvements and in the unlikely event (!) of bugs.  I will do my best to give
you a prompt reply and request number!
 
Ian Norton
 
i.norton@lancaster.ac.uk