Installing GEMPACK on your laptop prior to a training course

GEMPACK-oriented training courses often require that you bring and use your own laptop computer. Most Windows laptops will be adequate (for specific requirements see here). To do the course exercises, you'll need to install GEMPACK on your laptop. Usually, this is rather easy. However, we ask that you install the software prior to the course, for two reasons:

Any software problems will surface during the first course sessions -- when the instructors are busiest. Installing beforehand allows problems to be identified and addressed before the course starts.
To install the software, you will need "Administrator" access rights. If your laptop belongs to, or was configured by, your organization's IT section, you may only have limited or "Standard User" access rights. In that case an Administrator password may be needed to install GEMPACK. This could mean that someone from your organization's IT section has to be present during the install. In such a case, installation during the course might be impossible. Moreover, particular corporate IT policies occasionally cause problems with GEMPACK. You would need to work with your IT section to resolve such problems.

What if my laptop already has GEMPACK on it?

The course requires that you have GEMPACK Release 11.0 or later. To see which version you have, use the menu command Help...GEMPACK licence from TABmate or ViewHAR. If you have Release 10 or earlier, you must install Release 11. The instruction document mentioned below explains how you can rename your existing GEMPACK folder so that you can later go back to the old version, if necessary.

Downloading and Installing the Executable-Image Version of GEMPACK

First, download, print out, and read quickinst.pdf. It contains simplified install instructions especially designed for training course use.

Next, download the Trial Edition of the Limited Executable-Image Version of GEMPACK from this page. It mentions a longer install document, GPInstall.pdf, but you should follow the shorter QuickInst instructions. Section 3 of the QuickInst instructions explains how to check that your installation is working properly by running a model simulation: it is important that you complete this section.

The Trial Edition includes all the main GEMPACK programs and can carry out a full range of modelling tasks. There is a model size limitation -- but this will not cause problems during the course. The Trial Edition comes with a temporary licence lasting 6 months from the download date -- long enough to complete the course. Often course participants will receive a longer-lasting licence during the course.

Other course software

For some courses, you may also need to pre-install other software, such as, for example, the RunDynam program for running dynamic simulations, or the RunGTAP program which solves the GTAP model. You will receive specific instructions if you need to install other programs. In any case, you should install GEMPACK first: the other programs may require that you already have GEMPACK installed.

Participants in the Practical GE course held in Melbourne and elsewhere are required to download the MINIMAL free training software, and to complete the exercises supplied with it.

Other course files

At the beginning of the course you will be supplied with various other files that are needed for the course exercises.

Course CD

During most courses participants are given a course CD (or USB key) containing: software required for the course; files needed for course exercises; and various supplementary material. Such CDs are mainly intended for use after the course. You should install the necessary software before the course.

Upgrading the temporary licence

The trial edition of the Limited Executable-Image Version of GEMPACK comes with a temporary licence lasting 6 months from the download date -- long enough to complete the training course. Usually course participants will be entitled to a better licence. Specific details will vary according to the course. For example:

Often course participants will receive (either beforehand by email, or on arrival at the course) a course-specific licence lasting 12 months from the start of the course.