[GRASS-user] Novice Query: Grass63, Cygwin on Windows startup errors, Error setting region (Problem with g.region: child process exited abnormally)

[Glynn Clements]

Katie Urey wrote:

> A novice question follows.  (new to cygwin, new to GIS, ok with UNIX, 
> not a programmer)
> 
> Answers might be-
> directions about which FAQ/archive etc to read
> 
> I'm starting grass63 in an xterm on a Windows (XP professional)  box. 
> 
> I'm attempting to use defaults, though I do have a spearfish60 directory 
> installed.
> 
> I'm running as user=Katie.
> 
>  there seem to be 3-4 GRASS windows opened
>     1 an output window- hidden by
>     1 window with a pretty medieval looking map-- not an xterm??

This:

http://trac.osgeo.org/grass/browser/grass/trunk/gui/tcltk/gis.m/intro.gif

is the splash screen. It should pop up for a few seconds then
disappear, but if there is an error starting the GUI, it may fail to
disappear.

>     1 an error window
>     1 the initial text window
> 
>  >>>>>>>The Error window states:
>  >>>>>>> 
> 
> Do I need a Katie directory?  Do I need to open up perms on user1 
> directories?

I suggest using the text startup at first; type "grass63 -text", and
you should get a curses-based screen in the xterm from which you
started GRASS. If you don't even get that, "rm ~/.grass63" then try
again.

The database line should be the directory containing the GRASS
directory (in Cygwin format; use e.g. /cygdrive/c/... if the directory
isn't inside the Cygwin hierarchy). The location should be
spearfish60. The mapset can be whatever you wish; it will be created
if it doesn't already exist.

Assuming that goes okay, and you can run GRASS commands ("g.region -p"
and "g.list rast" are useful tests), you can try starting the GUI with
"gis.m".

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>