NONMEM FTP Repository
To: NONMEM Users Group
Re: The NONMEM Repository
From: Steven L. Shafer, M.D.
Jaap Mandema, Ph.D.
We have now opened an FTP server here at Stanford to function as a repository
for files and information for the NONMEM community. We intend to build up the
content of the repository over the next year as we add NONMEM projects of
interest (e.g., PREDS, control streams, sample data sets, installation
techniques, etc). We encourage the NONMEM community to consider this
repository a shared resource.
For example, if you have PREDS that you have written and find useful, please
put them into the repository so we can all use them. We all know that that
installation of NONMEM can be very tricky. Many of us have written batch files
to automate the installation for our computing environment. If you could share
your installation batch files, that would help others who work in the same
environment install NONMEM. Another possibility is bench marking routines,
which you could upload to the repository so that interested individuals could
calibrate NONMEM execution speed on their computers against other machines.
To access the repository, please FTP to pkpd.palo-alto.med.va.gov. Sorry about
the long name, but it is US Government issue. That name is still propagating
around the domain name server network, and so you might get an .unknown host.
message. In that case, FTP to 198.31.34.225. Log in as .anonymous. and give
your e-mail address as the password. You will be greeted by a series of readme
files. If you are using a character-based FTP system, and aren.t sure about
FTP commands, try FTP HELP or FTP ? to see how to use FTP.
The repository is fairly spacious: over 1 GB of disk space. Thus, there is
lots of room for you to share your NONMEM tool box, data sets, etc with others.
Over the next few months we plan to add: 1) dial-up modem service, for those of
you for whom FTP is not really feasible, 2) a listserver service, so you can
get files from the repository using e-mail, and 3) full world-wide web
integration, so you can access the repository using Mosaic or another web
browser. These steps will take some time, so please be patient.
Also, we encourage you to also spend time browsing the repository installed and
maintained by David Bourne at OUHSC College of Pharmacy in Oklahoma City. You
can reach the NONMEM discussion topics set up at OUHSC at:
http://157.142.72.77/common/anonymous/nm/t_index.html
or by ftp or gopher to 157.142.72.77.
We have discussed with David linking these repositories via the WWW. As we
work to integrate NONMEM user support with the INTERNET, we will keep the
NMUSERS group posted on our progress.
We are just starting up this repository. Please access it, browse through the
readme files, and see if it makes sense. Do you feel welcome? Is it clear how
to find files? How to download files? How to set up your own directories and
upload files? Is our FTP site adequately responsive, or is it too slow?
We look forward to providing the NONMEM community with this new resource, and
hope it helps you with your modeling efforts.