The ALMA OT is written in Java and is available in two flavours: Web Start and tarball. The Web Start method is recommended as it is much simpler. Provided a network connection is available, it will ensure that you are running the latest available version of the OT. The tarball method is a more classical installation involving the downloading and unpacking of a tarfile containing the OT application and other files required to run the OT. In this chapter, both installation procedures will be discussed.
If problems are encountered during installation and/or operation of the OT, users are recommended to examine the Science Portal, especially the OT Troubleshooting and Known Issues pages, for solutions. The Helpdesk may also contain useful information via its Knowledgebase system. If a solution to a problem cannot be found, a user should then file a Helpdesk ticket.