Getting Started with IRAF

From BYU Astro Docs

Before you can use the IRAF software package, you must create the needed user files. This is done by typing the following in an xgterm while in your home directory:

mkiraf

You will then be prompted for your terminal type. Select xgterm (This can be changed later if needed). This action will create two things. One is a login.cl file in your home directory. This is needed to load scripts and programs when IRAF starts up. You can edit this file to run BYU made scripts or your own scripts, which you will need to do if you want to run scripts to set up parameters for specific telescopes.

The second thing that is created is an uparm directory in your home directory. This will contain IRAF parameters you will edit later. It is best not to mess with this directory.

Once you have run mkiraf, you can run IRAF by typing:

cl

in an xgterm.