For learners

This directory contains scripts for testing your machine to make sure you have the software you'll need for your workshop installed. See the comments at the head of each script for more details, but you'll basically want to see something like:

$ python swc-installation-test-1.py
Passed
$ python swc-installation-test-2.py
check virtual-shell...  pass
…
Successes:

virtual-shell Bourne Again Shell (bash) 4.2.37
…

If you see something like:

$ python swc-installation-test-2.py
check virtual-shell...  fail
…
check for command line shell (virtual-shell) failed:
  command line shell (virtual-shell) requires at least one of the following dependencies
  For instructions on installing an up-to-date version, see
  http://software-carpentry.org/setup/
  causes:
  check for Bourne Again Shell (bash) failed:
    could not find 'bash' executable for Bourne Again Shell (bash)
    For instructions on installing an up-to-date version, see
    http://software-carpentry.org/setup/
…

follow the suggestions to try and install any missing software. For additional troubleshooting information, you can use the --verbose option:

$ python swc-installation-test-2.py --verbose
check virtual-shell...  fail
…
==================
System information
==================
os.name            : posix
…

For instructors

swc-installation-test-1.py is pretty simple, and just checks that the students have a recent enough version of Python installed that they'll be able to parse swc-installation-test-2.py. The latter checks for a list of dependencies and prints error messages if a package is not installed, or if the installed version is not current enough. By default, the script checks for pretty much anything that has ever been used at a Software Carpentry workshop, which is probably not what you want for your particular workshop.

Before your workshop, you should go through swc-installation-test-2.py and comment any dependencies you don't need out of the CHECKS list. You might also want to skim through the minimum version numbers listed where particular dependencies are defined (e.g. ('git', 'Git', (1, 7, 0), None)). For the most part, fairly conservative values have been selected, so students with modern machines should be fine. If your workshop has stricter version requirements, feel free to bump them accordingly.

Similarly, the virtual dependencies can be satisfied by any of several packages. If you don't want to support a particular package (e.g. if you have no Emacs experience and don't want to be responsible for students who show up with Emacs as their only editor), you can comment out that particular or_dependency.

Finally, don't forget to post your modified scripts somewhere where your students can download them!