Steps for setting up slow control:
The purpose of this page is to list instructions to create a docker container containing all the tools required to run a slow control system. EPICS is the back-end. It keeps track of the process variables and Handels the communication between the slow control computer and the components of a scientific experimental setup over Local network. Node-RED is the front-end. It interacts with EPICS using EPICS-Python interface. With Node-RED 'flows' and GUI are created.
The following steps are for reference. If the intention is to just set up a slow control without having to go through underlying details, then execute step one and skip to the last command on this page.
1. Installing docker on ubuntu: Open terminal in ubuntu and run the following commands.
$ curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh $ sudo sh get-docker.sh
2. Setup a ubuntu container
$ docker run --it --network host --name slow_control ubuntu bin/bash
Containers are usually completely isolated from the host system. But containers with '–network host' tag share the host network.
Note:
'$' symbol is used to represent host terminal. '#' symbol is used to represent terminal inside the container.
3. Access terminal inside the container
$ docker exec -it slow_control bin/bash
4. Install epics using the script on autoinstall page
The downloaded script should be copied into the container. Open another terminal window on the host and execute the following command.
docker cp <source_path>|- <container_name>:<paht_inside_container>
5. install Node.js
# curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_12.x | sudo -E bash - # sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
5. Install Node-RED
# sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm node-red
Now the basic set up is complete
6. create an account in docker-hub https://hub.docker.com/signup and create a repository named “slow_control” 7. Sign into docker using the same account
$ docker login
(you will be prompted form username and password).
8. Create an image of the container that has been created in the previous steps.
$ docker commit slow_control
(you will see a series of alpha-numeric characters after executing this command, this is called a 'tag') Assign a name to the image
$ docker <tag> slow_control:v1
9. Upload the image to repository that was created in step 6
$ docker push <username>/slow_control:v1
Now the image slow_control:v1 can be pulled to any computer and a container can be setup. All the prerequisite are present in this container.
The following command can be executed to setup a container which has already been created.
$ docker run --it --network host --name slow_control ravigmathim/slow_control:v1.2 bin/bash
The 'v1.2' in the 'ravigmathim/slow_control:v1.2' refers to version. It may change.