Most Starlink application programs are part of a ‘package’. The documentation for the package will tell you how to start it up and run its applications.
Stand-alone ADAM programs are run from the shell in the same way as any Unix program by typing:
% program_name
% program_name may be a full pathname.
The Interface File, which defines the program’s parameters, is usually in the same directory as the
executable but an alternative search path for Interface Files may be specified in environment variable
ADAM_IFL. If the variable is undefined, or the search is unsuccessful, the directory in which the
executable was found is assumed. A file with the same name as the executable and with extension
.ifc or, failing that, .ifl is sought.
If the task is built into a monolith, a link with the name of the task must be made to the monolithic executable and an individual Interface File for the task provided. The link can then be executed as if it were a simple program. (This is all usually set up by package startup scripts – see SSN/46.)
When running tasks directly from a shell, the normal Unix rules for the use of
meta-characters on the command line will apply – these sometimes conflict with the
ADAM parameter definition syntax. Characters to be particularly wary of are ‘"’,
‘’ and
‘$’.