The LANforge-GUI is the graphical interface to the LANforge server. The GUI
is written in Java and should work on any platform that supports
it, including Windows 95 and higher, Linux, and Solaris. We have specific
instructions and support for Windows and Linux only. A general section at
the end of this document will describe installations on other platforms.
-
Choosing a Machine
The suggested minimum client platform specification is:
- Pentium 300 Mhz
- 128 MB RAM
- 80MB Free Disk Space
- Monitor/Video Card capable of 1024 x 960 resolution or higher.
For optimal performance, we recommend:
- Pentium 600+ Mhz
- 256 MB RAM
- 80MB Free Disk Space
- Monitor/Video Card capable of 1200 x 1064 resolution or higher.
-
Download LANforge Software
Navigate your web browser to the Candela Technologies
Downloads page. You will
need a Candela Technologies user account to access the downloads page. If you do not have one,
you can create one on the Accounts
page.
Select the LANforge product you wish to install and save it to your /home/lanforge directory
(Linux) or desktop (Windows). You may need to edit your web browser preferences to save
downloads to this location.
-
Selecting a Language: Internationalization
The LANforge-GUI has not been fully internationalized yet. If your preferred language
is not English, you may edit the start script for your platform and pass in the command line
arguments to choose the correct Properties file.
- For instance, if you want the GUI to be useful to German speakers, use the command
line arguments as lanforge:
$ lfclient.bash -lang DE -country de
- To see a full list of options, run the GUI with the --help argument:
$ lfclient.bash --help
-
Installing LANforge-GUI on Linux
The LANforge-GUI has been extensively tested on RedHat and Fedora Core Linux. However, it
should work on any version of Linux that supports a recent Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
- Choose a user to own the LANforge-GUI. Any non-root user should work, but
for this document it is assumed that your user is called 'lanforge.' If you
need to create a new user (on RedHat, for example) you can use these commands (as root):
# adduser lanforge
# passwd lanforge (Choose a password for the lanforge user)
- Log in as user lanforge:
# su - lanforge
- Choose a directory in which to install the LANforge-GUI. We suggest $HOME/lanforge.
If this directory does not yet exist, you can add it
with this command (as user lanforge):
$ mkdir $HOME/lanforge
- Download the LANforge-GUI distribution to the newly created $HOME/lanforge
directory. See Download LANforge Software above.
NOTE: For CD installation, use this procedure as root:
# mount /mnt/cdrom (This step may not be necessary)
# cp /mnt/cdrom/LANforgeGUI_*_Linux.tar.bz2 $HOME/lanforge
- Extract the LANforge-GUI distribution as lanforge. For example:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge
$ tar -xvjf LANforgeGUI_*_Linux.tar.bz2 (Uncompresses the distribution)
- Install the LANforge-GUI Desktop icons as root (release 5.0.9 and
later). For example:
# cd $HOME/lanforge/LANforgeGUI_X.X.X (Where X.X.X is the release number of the
GUI)
# ./lfgui_install.bash
- Start the LANforge-GUI as lanforge with the commands:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge/LANforgeGUI_X.X.X
$ ./lfclient.bash (Starts the GUI)
- Click through End User License Agreements for LANforge-Server and LANforge-GUI
by clicking 'OK'.
- Optional configurations
The LANforge-GUI supports several command-line options that will help you customise
its look-and-feel to your particular needs. These options can be added to the lfclient.bash
script, or passed to the lfclient.bash script when invoking it
(Ex: ./lfclient.bash -simpleice). The options are:
- -nofire
- Hides Traffic Generation (FIRE) related screens. This option is good for LANforge-ICE
(only) installations.
- -noice
- Hides WanLink (ICE) related screens. This is good for LANforge-FIRE (only)
installations.
- -nocd
- Hides WanLink (ICE) Collision-Domains.
- -simpleice
- Displays only WanLink (ICE) related screens (similar to -nofire)
- -nofe
- Hides File Traffic Generation (FIRE) related screens.
- -novlc
- Hides streaming media related screens.
- -nol4
- Hides Layer-4 (FTP, HTTP, VoIP) Traffic Generation (FIRE) related screens.
- -nogen
- Hides Generic Traffic Generation (FIRE) related screens.
- -noarm
- Hides Armageddon related screens.
- -nospans
- Hides T1 Serial Spans (FIRE) related screens.
- -noppp
- Hides PPP-Links (FIRE) related screens.
- -nocli
- Hides the Messages tab.
- -notm
- Hides the Test Manager tab.
- -nocomma
- Commas in groups of displayed numbers will not be displayed.
The LANforge-GUI should pop up shortly after this if everything worked correctly!
-
Installing LANforge-GUI on Microsoft Windows
The LANforge-GUI has been tested on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. It should
should also work on any version of Windows that supports Sun's JRE version 1.5,
including Windows 95/98 and Windows NT.
- Download the LANforge-GUI installer to your desktop. See
Download LANforge Software above.
- Execute the LANforge-GUI installer
This will create desktop and run-menu short-cuts and provide the
ability to configure the features displayed by the GUI.
- Start the LANforge-GUI by double-clicking the LANforge-GUI (anvil) desktop icon.
NOTE: Windows Vista users must run the LANforge-GUI as administrator to function
properly. The shortcut properties should be modified to run as administrator: right-click
on the shortcut icon, select Properties and click the Advanced button. Select 'Run as
administrator' then click OK on both the Advanced Properties and LANforge-GUI Properties
windows. After double-clicking the LANforge-GUI (anvil) desktop icon, click 'Continue'
in the User Account Control popup.
- Click through End User License Agreements for LANforge-Server and LANforge-GUI
by clicking 'OK'.
- Optional Package: cygwin X-windows
If you are managing Linux data generators with a Windows GUI,
you must have an X-windows server installed on your system in
order for the 'Sniff Packets' option on the Port Mgr tab to work.
Cygwin X-windows is a free implementation that has been tested
with LANforge and Wireshark.
The install instructions for cygwin are here:
http://x.cygwin.com/docs/ug/cygwin-x-ug.html. When configuring which packages
to install, choose the xorg-x11-base package (at a minimum).
When done installing, double-click the Cygwin icon that was created on your
desktop. In the console that pops up, type:
$ startx
Then type:
$ xhost +
NOTE: That allows any system to connect to yours with the X-windows protocol.
You could also type: xhost [ip-addr-of-mgt-dev-of-lanforge-box(es)]
Then click the 'Sniff Packets' button on the Port Mgr tab of the LANforge-GUI.
The DISPLAY variable should be IP-of-GUI-machine:0.0 (It should
default to the right value in most cases.) If all is working, the
Wireshark packet sniffer should pop up within a few seconds.
-
Installing on Other Java-Enabled Platforms
Generally, you will need to obtain a Java run-time environment (JRE), version
1.5.1 or greater (Older versions might work but are not officially supported.)
-
Installing on Non-Java Platforms
Although the LANforge-GUI is written in java, it can be run on a non-JRE Linux platform.
A separate GUI distribution has been created for this purpose.
- Download the 'NO JRE' LANforge-GUI distribution to the $HOME/lanforge
directory. See Download LANforge Software above.
NOTE: For CD installation, use this procedure as root:
# mount /mnt/cdrom (This step may not be necessary)
# cp /mnt/cdrom/LANforgeGUI_*_NO_JRE.zip $HOME/lanforge
- Unzip the LANforge-GUI as user lanforge:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge
$ unzip LANforgeGUI_*_NO_JRE.zip
- Start the LANforge-GUI with the following commands:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge/LANforgeGUI_* (Go to the new directory)
$ ./lfclient.bash (Starts the GUI)
-
Upgrading LANforge-GUI on Linux
To upgrade your LANforge-GUI from an existing Linux installation, follow these instructions:
- Download the new LANforge-GUI distribution to the $HOME/lanforge
directory. See Download LANforge Software above.
NOTE: For CD installation, use this procedure as root:
# mount /mnt/cdrom (This step may not be necessary)
# cp /mnt/cdrom/LANforgeGUI_*_Linux.tar.bz2 $HOME/lanforge
- Remove the previous installation as user lanforge:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge
$ rm -rf LANforgeGUI_X.X.X (Where X.X.X is the release number of the
version you are removing)
- Remove the symbolic link: (if upgrading from a release prior to 5.0.9)
$ rm -rf LANforgeGUI
- Remove Desktop Icons: (if upgrading from a release prior to 5.0.9)
$ rm -rf Desktop/LANforge*.desktop
- Extract the LANforge-GUI distribution as lanforge. For example:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge
$ tar -xvjf LANforgeGUI_X.X.X_Linux.tar.bz2 (Uncompresses the distribution)
- Install the LANforge-GUI Desktop icons as root (release 5.0.9 and
later). For example:
# cd $HOME/lanforge/LANforgeGUI_X.X.X (Where X.X.X is the release number of the
GUI)
# ./lfgui_install.bash
- Start the new LANforge-GUI:
$ cd $HOME/lanforge/LANforgeGUI_X.X.X
$ ./lfclient.bash (Starts the GUI)
- Click through End User License Agreements for LANforge-Server and LANforge-GUI
by clicking 'OK'.
-
Upgrading LANforge-GUI on Microsoft Windows
To upgrade your LANforge-GUI from an existing Windows installation, follow these instructions:
- Download the new LANforge-GUI installer to your desktop. See
Download LANforge Software above.
- Uninstall the previous LANforge-GUI:
- From the Start Menu, select Control Panel and 'Add or Remove Programs' (Vista:
click the 'Uninstall a program' link).
- Select the current version of the LANforge-GUI then click the 'Remove' button
(Vista: click the 'Uninstall/Change' button on the top panel then click 'Continue'
in the pop-up window).
- Install the new LANforge-GUI:
- Double-click the LANforge-GUI-X.X.X-Installer shortcut on your desktop (where X.X.X
is the release number of the version you are installing). NOTE: Windows Vista
users must select 'Allow' in the User Account Control popup.
- Click 'I Agree' to the GNU General Public License, click through the setup
options, and click 'Install.'
- Select your desired configuration: LANforge-FIRE, LANforge-ICE, or Both, then
click through to 'OK.'
- Start the LANforge-GUI by double-clicking the LANforge-GUI (anvil) desktop icon.
NOTE: Windows Vista users must run the LANforge-GUI as administrator to function
properly. The shortcut properties should be modified to run as administrator: right-click
on the shortcut icon, select Properties and click the Advanced button. Select 'Run as
administrator' then click OK on both the Advanced Properties and LANforge-GUI Properties
windows. After double-clicking the LANforge-GUI (anvil) desktop icon, click 'Continue'
in the User Account Control popup.
- Click through End User License Agreements for LANforge-Server and LANforge-GUI
by clicking 'OK'.
-
Trouble-shooting Guide
- Q. When I run lfclient.bash, I get a large amount of errors printed to the console!
- A. Some of the newer JRE's from Sun and IBM seem to throw lots of (mostly?)
harmless exceptions. If the LANforge-GUI continues to work OK, you probably
have nothing to worry about. Either way, you can send the output to
support@candelatech.com and
we will diagnose the errors for you.
- Q. I'm using Windows Vista and LANforge-GUI won't launch from the desktop icon.
- A. Windows Vista users must run the LANforge-GUI as administrator to function properly. The
shortcut properties should be modified to run as administrator: right-click on the shortcut
icon, select Properties and click the Advanced button. Select 'Run as administrator' then
click OK on both the Advanced Properties and LANforge-GUI Properties windows.
