QUICK_START.md

Quick Start Guide

Get Ready for the Phoebus Codeathon

This guide will help you prepare for the Phoebus Tools and Services session at the 2026 EPICS Codeathon.

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Before You Arrive

1. Set Up Your Development Environment

Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

• Required: JDK 11 or later (JDK 17 LTS recommended)
• Download: https://adoptium.net/ (Eclipse Temurin)
• Verify installation:

  java -version
  javac -version

Install Maven

• Required: Maven 3.6 or later
• Download: https://maven.apache.org/download.cgi
• Verify installation:

  mvn -version

Install Git

• Required: Latest stable version
• Download: https://git-scm.com/downloads
• Configure:

  git config --global user.name "Your Name"
  git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Choose Your IDE

Pick one:

• Eclipse: https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
• IntelliJ IDEA: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/
• VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/ (with Java extensions)

Install Docker (Optional but Recommended)

• For services development and testing
• Download: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

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2. Create GitHub Account

• Sign up at https://github.com if you don't have an account
• Set up SSH keys or personal access token for authentication
• Fork repositories you'll be working on (optional, can do on-site)

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3. Clone Repositories (Optional Pre-work)

You can clone these ahead of time to save bandwidth at the venue:

# Create a workspace directory
mkdir -p ~/epics-codeathon-2026
cd ~/epics-codeathon-2026

# Clone Phoebus
git clone https://github.com/ControlSystemStudio/phoebus.git

# Clone Phoebus-Olog
git clone https://github.com/Olog/phoebus-olog.git

# Clone ChannelFinder Service
git clone https://github.com/ChannelFinder/ChannelFinderService.git

# Clone EPICS Archiver Appliance
git clone https://github.com/shroffk/epicsarchiverap.git

# Clone EPICS Core Java
git clone https://github.com/shroffk/epicsCoreJava.git

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4. Build Phoebus (Optional Pre-work)

Test that you can build Phoebus:

cd phoebus
mvn clean verify -DskipTests

This may take 10-20 minutes on first run. If successful, you'll see:

[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS

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5. Review Project Lists

Browse the project lists to get familiar with what's available:

• projects/README.md - Development projects
• documentation-tasks/README.md - Documentation tasks

Think about which areas interest you most.

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6. Join Communication Channels

• Matrix Chat: Join #codeathon26:epics-controls.org
• Install Matrix client: Element (https://element.io/) or use web interface
• Introduce yourself in the chat before the event!

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7. Familiarize Yourself with EPICS

If you're new to EPICS:

• Visit https://epics-controls.org/
• Read the overview documentation
• Understand basic concepts: IOC, PV, Channel Access, PV Access

If you're new to Phoebus:

• Watch introduction videos if available
• Read user documentation at https://github.com/ControlSystemStudio/phoebus
• Download and run a pre-built version

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8. Prepare Your Laptop

• Ensure your laptop is charged and you have a charger
• UK Power: Bring a UK plug adapter (BS1363 socket, 240V, 50Hz)
• WiFi: Diamond prefers eduroam - check with your IT department
• Backup: Commit any local work before traveling
• Free up disk space: Need at least 10 GB free
• Update your OS and software