Install Give and SMS

Owned by Derrick Lin
Last updated: Aug 19, 2024 by Mei Cheng Whale
2 min read

give and sms are interconnected. Create give environment and sms database in the class account as follows:

  1. ssh into the class account with X11 forwarding: ssh -Y

    • sms is a tcl/tk application. To run sms, X Window is required.

    • Running tcl/tk app with X Window can be slow. Alternatives are

 

  1. Run the installation script:

% give-install -new

% ~give/stable/bin/give-install -new

if ~give/stable/bin is not part of $PATH

% give-install -new term

if term is not the same as the system-wide term, example 24T2

 

  • The installation perform the following tasks:

    • Create $WORK ($HOME/term.work e.g. ~/24T2.work)

    • Create give.spec (if doesn't exists) in

      • $HOME (does not override existing one)

      • $WORK (does not override existing one)

    • Create .giverc in $HOME (overrides existing one)

    • Create sms database ($SMSDB) under $WORK (can be postponed, see ‘Resume the installation’)

      • Download student enrolment data (below)

      • Add $SMSDB to $HOME/.giverc

      • Add &smsdb to $WORK/give.spec

 

  • The installation can be paused before sms database is created.

Create the database by running sms directly:

sms ~/24T2.work/24T2db.sms

sms

using the value stored in $SMSDB

Resume the installation with this command:

give-install -update

 

  • Download student enrolment data

    • Add course records

      • Top menu bar: Course → Add Course

      • For combined courses,

        • create sms in the primary class account e.g. COMP3331/9331’s sms located in cs3331

        • add a record for each course e.g. COMP3331/9331 has two course records in sms

    • Add student records

      • Top menu bar: Student → Add Student Records → External Source

      • or Second menu bar: Add Students

        • Enrolments - The download will update class (tut, lab, tut_lab) values

          Enrolments (without classes) - The download will not update class values

    • The enrolment downloads creates an enum field (tut, lab or tut_lab) if small group classes exists. Enter this field when asked for a group field by give-install script. This field is used by give for assignment submissions.

Read about &subkey and &subgroup

 

  • After installing give (and sms)

    • source give environment

      • % . ~/.giverc

      • Add the line above (if not already) to~/.profile

    • Check the environment variables: $GIVEPERIOD, $WORK, $SMSDB

      • % echo $GIVEPERIOD

    • Check $HOME/give.spec contain the correct configuration for the current term.

      • Look for &period It can be set to the previous term because of Supplementary Exam submissions.

&class = COMP9999 &classuser = cs9999 &period = 24T1