Keeping up to date: Compilers and Interpreters

We have the latest major versions of GCC, Intel's compilter suite, Python, and R.

What's the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

In short, a compiler takes a program and builds an executable which can then be ran, whereas an interpreter takes a program and runs it immediately.

What can be installed to the RC systems?

The software will need to be compatible with Linux (CentOS in particular). The RC team will happily spend four work hours on an installation, but if it takes longer than that, we will explore in more detail t the installation and review the installation. By default, we highly recommend you make a request and work with us to get something installed. 

Which version should be used? What build with several compilers should be used? 

The RC systems may contain many different versions of various software installations. The primary reason behind keeping all the old versions is because some applications cannot or do not update to the most recent version, so the modules are kept for legacy support. Additionally, there may be bugs in the current stable release that cause it to be undesirable for some.  In general, it is best to use the most recent major release, unless some software requires a different version.

If there are builds of a software with different compilers, it is generally better to use the GCC build, unless there is a reason to be using Intel's compiler suite.

If there are builds with MPI libraries, use those on the clusters if MPI is desired.