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Getting Started with eightolives' Java-based Tools

This page describes how to get eightolives' Java-based software programs up and running. For specific tools, refer to the tool's home page and installation page for more details.

About Java
To get started using eightolives Java-based programs, your computer must have Oracle's Java installed and properly configured.

Starting Eightolives Java-based Software

Eightolives programs are available to Registered Users. You become a Registered User by purchasing a subscription for the software from the eightolives store. When you purchase a subscription, you are emailed a user name and initial password. Subscriptions are valid for a specific time period, typically one year. After your subscription expires, you can still use the last version downloaded.

The program file and corresponding signature are first downloaded by logging in to the eightolives' User Login Page. Select the product to which you subscribed. Save the files in your "Downloads" directory.

Software is provided as a ".tar.gz" file or an executable install (.exe) file (Windows). Files are installed in the user's home directory. A directory, ".eightolives", established in the user's home directory contains a subdirectory with the tool's name which contains all required and created files.

Windows Installation:
When you log in to the User Login Page, your browser will prompt you to save the EightolivesInstall.exe file in your Downloads directory. When downloaded, execute it to install and respond to the prompts.

Starting the Program on Windows
The program is normally started by executing: user_home\.eightolives\toolname\toolname


Linux Installation: When you log in to the User Login Page, your browser will prompt you to save the EightolivesInstall.tar.gz file in your Downloads directory. When downloaded, use a shell window and execute the commands:
   tar -xvzf EightolivesInstall.tar.gz
   ./EightolivesInstall/EightolivesInstall

Starting the Program on Linux
The program is normally started by executing: user_home/.eightolives/toolname/toolname

Setting Preferences

The menu bar of most tools has a Preferences option which allows you to set various parameters.

Three preferences which you may need to modify are the executable paths to your preferred web browser, your preferred PDF reader and the Gnu Privacy Guard (gpg) program if you wish to use encryption. Use the menu options Preferences > Set Browser Path, Preferences > Set PDF Reader Path, and Preferences > Set GPG Path to specify the location of those external programs. and locate the appropriate executable files for each program.

Some tools may allow you to add an image or slide show to the background by using the Preferences > Set Background Image menu option. With that option you can select a .jpg, .gif or .png file. You can also select a .smi slide show file as created using the Workspaces' Bookmarks tool. See the Workspaces' Bookmarks tutorial on how to create .smi files from a given directory of images.

Other third party software

USB specific setup
Tools that interface to an eightolives' USB device, such as the USB Interface Pod, may require additional setup.

Accessing USB devices also requires the file "javax.usb.properties" found in the ".eightolives" directory to be copied to the Java's "jre/lib" directory. [On Linux if the environmental variable JAVA_HOME has been defined as pointing to the jre directory, from the ".eightolives" directory, execute the command "sudo cp javax.usb.properties $JAVA_HOME/lib"].

On Linux systems, you need to copy the file "98-eightolives.rules" found in the ".eightolives" directory to the "/lib/udev/rules.d" directory to gain user permission to access the pod. From the ".eightolives" directory, execute the command "sudo cp 98-eightolives.rules /lib/udev/rules.d".