Getting started

Installing

Installing with pip (platform-independent)

Taurus can be installed using pip. The following command will automatically download and install the latest release of Taurus (see pip –help for options):

pip install taurus

You can test the installation by running:

python -c "import taurus; print taurus.Release.version"

Note: pip is already included in python>2.7.9 (or python 3.4.0 for the 3.x series)

Installing from PyPI manually (platform-independent)

You may alternatively install from a downloaded release package:

  1. Download the latest release of taurus from http://pypi.python.org/pypi/taurus

  2. Extract the downloaded source into a temporary directory and change to it

  3. run:

    python setup.py install
    
  4. test the installation:

    python -c "import taurus; print taurus.Release.version"
    

Linux (Debian-based)

Since v3.0, Taurus is part of the official repositories of Debian (and Ubuntu and other Debian-based distros). You can install it and all its dependencies by doing (as root):

aptitude install python-taurus

(see more detailed instructions in this step-by-step howto)

Windows

  1. Download the latest windows binary from http://pypi.python.org/pypi/taurus

  2. Run the installation executable

  3. test the installation:

    C:\Python27\python -c "import taurus; print taurus.Release.version"
    

Windows installation shortcut

This chapter provides a quick shortcut to all windows packages which are necessary to run taurus on your windows machine

  1. from Python(x,y)
    1. Download and install a python 2.7 compatible version of python(x,y) from here
  2. from scratch:
    1. Download and install PyQwt < 6.0 from PyQwt downdoad page
      1. Download and install compatible python from link in the same PyQwt page
      2. Download and install compatible numpy from link in the same PyQwt page.
      3. Download and install compatible PyQt from link in the same PyQwt page.
  3. Finally:
    1. Download and install latest PLY from PLY downdoad page (necessary for jdraw synoptics only)
    2. Download and install latest PyTango from PyTango downdoad page
    3. Download and install latest Taurus from Taurus downdoad page

Working from Git source directly (in develop mode)

If you intend to do changes in Taurus itself, it is convenient to work directly from the git source in “develop” mode, so that you do not need to re-install on each change.

You can clone taurus from our main git repository:

git clone git://git.code.sf.net/p/tauruslib/taurus.git taurus

Then, to work on develop mode, just do:

cd taurus
python setup.py develop

Dependencies

digraph dependencies {
    size="8,3";
    Taurus      [shape=box,label="taurus 4.0"];
    Python      [shape=box,label="Python >=2.7"];
    numpy       [shape=box,label="numpy >=1.1.0"];
    PyTango     [shape=box,label="PyTango >=7.1.0"];
    pyepics     [shape=box,label="pyepics >=3.2.4"];
    PyQt        [shape=box,label="PyQt >=4.8"];
    PyQwt       [shape=box,label="PyQwt >=5.2.0"];
    guiqwt      [shape=box,label="guiqwt >=2.3.0"];
    PyMca5      [shape=box,label="PyMca5 >=5.1.2"];
    ply         [shape=box,label="PLY >=2.3"];

    Taurus -> Python;
    Taurus -> numpy;
    Taurus -> PyTango      [style=dotted, label="only for using Tango"];
    Taurus -> pyepics      [style=dotted, label="only for using EPICS"];
    Taurus -> PyQt         [label="taurus.qt only"];
    Taurus -> PyQwt        [label="taurus.qt only"];
    Taurus -> guiqwt       [style=dotted, label="taurus.qt.qtgui.extra_guiqwt only"];
    Taurus -> PyMca5       [style=dotted, label="taurus.qt.qtgui.extra_nexus only"];
    Taurus -> ply          [style=dotted, label="taurus.qt.qtgui.graphic.jdraw only"];
}

Taurus has dependencies on some python libraries. After you installed taurus you can check the state of the dependencies by doing:

import taurus
taurus.check_dependencies()
  • If you want to interact with a Tango controls system, you need PyTango 7 or later installed. You can check by doing:

    python -c 'import PyTango; print PyTango.Release.version'
    
  • If you want to interact with an EPICS controls system,you need pyepics

  • For using the taurus Qt widgets, you will need PyQt 4.8 or later (PyQt5 support comming soon). You can check by doing:

    python -c 'import PyQt4.Qt; print PyQt4.Qt.QT_VERSION_STR'
    
  • The taurus.qt.qtgui.plot module requires PyQwt 5.2.0 or later. (this dependency will be dropped soon). You can check it by doing:

    python -c 'import PyQt4.Qwt5; print PyQt4.Qwt5.QWT_VERSION_STR'
    
  • The image widgets require the guiqwt library.

  • The JDraw synoptics widgets require the PLY package.

  • The NeXus browser widget requires PyMca5.