Using VALET

VALET, a module-like system developed and maintained at UD, makes it easy to manage your environment so you have access to the software that you use to conduct your work on Caviness. On a system like Caviness there are simultaneously many different software packages present, and many unique versions and variants of those packages. Some software is maintained by UD IT for all of the users of Caviness. Some software is maintained by individual workgroups or users. Having a single consistent mechanism for adding software into a shell's environment is of critical importance.

A VALET package definition describes the changes that must be made to the environment, such as adding directories to $PATH or $LD_LIBRARY_PATH so the system can find the executables and libraries associated with the package.

• Package definitions maintained for all users by UD IT can be found in the /opt/shared/valet/etc directory
• Users can create their own VALET package definition files in the ~/.valet directory
• Workgroups can create VALET package definition files in the $WORKDIR/sw/valet directory