From 30b56ce149a1b6381f7f4e2ee77cd06759fafa3e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefano Serafin <serafin@srvx1.img.univie.ac.at>
Date: Fri, 5 May 2023 15:22:41 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] updates to WRF.md

---
 WRF.md | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/WRF.md b/WRF.md
index 1ddf9e0..26b2f81 100644
--- a/WRF.md
+++ b/WRF.md
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-# WRF
-
 ![WRF-ICON](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/12666893?s=200&v=4)
 
-The present manual aims at constituting a first approach for beginner users to the Weather
-Research and Forecasting Model.
+The present manual contains basic information about running the Weather Research and Forecasting Model on workstations and clusters of the Department of Meteorology and Geophysics in Vienna.
+
+More detailed information is also available:
+
+[Basic WRF usage, including compilation instructions](WRF/WRF_basic.md).  
+[Advanced WRF usage](WRF/WRF_basic.md).  
+[Data assimilation with WRF](WRF/WRF_da.md).  
+[Workflows for common WRF tasks](WRF/WRF_da.md).  
 
 Table of contents:
 
@@ -23,7 +27,21 @@ There is also a [users's forum](https://forum.mmm.ucar.edu/), which can be a sou
 
 WRF and related programs run as executables on linux machines and clusters. Running WRF requires access to a linux terminal. If you work on Linux or Mac, this is trivial: just open a terminal window. If you work on windows, consider using a linux terminal emulator that supports X11 forwarding (a protocol that enables running interactive graphical applications on a remote server via ssh). There are several alternatives, one option that proved to work well is [MobaXterm](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/).
 
-The WRF source code is available on [Github](https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF). It is possible to checkout the repository, but the recommended way of getting the code is to download one of the [official releases](https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF/releases): scroll down to the "Assets" section and choose one of the `v*.tar.gz` or `v*zip` files (not the "Source code" ones; these are incomplete).
+## Getting WRF
+
+### Option 1: Get the WRF executables
+
+If someone else already compiled it on the computer you'll be working with, you just need to:
+
+* copy their WRF run directory.
+
+* replicate exactly their compilation and runtime environment.
+
+### Option 2: Get the source code
+
+The WRF source code is available on [Github](https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF), and there are several ways to get it.
+
+* Recommended: download one of the [official releases](https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF/releases): scroll down to the "Assets" section and choose one of the `v*.tar.gz` or `v*zip` files (not the "Source code" ones; these are incomplete).
 
 To download while working on the terminal on a remote server, use wget or curl:
 
@@ -39,7 +57,15 @@ tar xzvf v4.4.2.tar.gz
 unzip v4.4.2.zip
 ```
 
-## Quick start
+* Clone the repository in a local directory:
+
+```sh
+git clone --recurse-submodule https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF.git
+```
+
+* You can also import WRF from Github into a new empty Gitlab project on [Phaidra](https://gitlab.phaidra.org/explore). To get access to Gitlab, look at the [ZID guidlines](https://zid.univie.ac.at/gitlab/) and send a request via email to `support.phaidra@univie.ac.at`. Once you have access credentials, click on "New Project", then "Import Project", then "Repository by URL". This method might be advisable if you want to use Gitlab for tracking your own changes to the WRF code, but do not want to rely on the official repository.
+
+## Quick start with WRF
 
 Compiling WRF for an idealized simulation (LES):
 
@@ -100,9 +126,4 @@ cp namelist.wps geogrid/GEOGRID.TBL.HIRES ${archive}
 rm -fr FILE* PRES* TAVGSFC GRIBFILE* metgrid.log.*
 ```
 
-## Additional resources
 
-More about [basic usage](WRF/WRF_basic.md)  
-More about [advanced usage](WRF/WRF_basic.md)  
-More about [data assimilation with WRF](WRF/WRF_da.md)  
-More about [workflows for common WRF tasks](WRF/WRF_da.md)  
-- 
GitLab