Nastran 2024 Linux. Deprecated documentation

[kairospace1]

I try put this information to support, but I can't send message more then 500 symbols. Autodesk has worse support system.

There are several pages about installation Nastran 2024 https://help.autodesk.com/view/NINCAD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-24D409E2-A5CF-442F-A918-A9A371AC43B8

1) This is deprecated information. There is no "/opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2020/bin/nastran_lic_reg.sh" but there is "/opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_lic_reg.sh". Now works ok.

2) This is cause a problem
# ./opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh
bash: ./opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh: No such file or directory

Because it should be without dot this way
/opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh
Now works ok.

3) There are a lot of "9.0.0.1462" text in your documentation, but looks like it should be "13.1.0.8307". And text "2020.0.0.F", "Nastran_2020" looks like mistake. You should use script to sync version in documentation with your source code. Look at qdoc project https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/01-qdoc-manual.html

4) There are two errors, error 3) and error because of extra space
sudo /opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/9.0.0.1462/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper register -- help
It should be
sudo /opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/13.1.0.8307/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper register --help

5) "ln –s /opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh /etc/profile.d/nastran_vars.sh"
Not clear for me. Should I do it? I use RPM packages installtion. I try do it and get error
# ln –s /opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh /etc/profile.d/nastran_vars.sh
ln: target '/etc/profile.d/nastran_vars.sh': Not a directory

6) There is "Autodesk Nastran Linux Installers" page https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/1GIRTG3vamzP9MeaXYS6yb.html There is no 2024 version...

7) Your file has name "Autodesk_Nastran_R0_2024_Linux_64bit.tar" but in page https://help.autodesk.com/view/NINCAD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-C86F4C9C-2B10-4C96-AD87-36E1F416DBFA you are talking about "tar xf Autodesk_Nastran_2024.0.0.F-14.0.0.203_Linux_64bit.tar". Not the same names...

😎I suggest host autodesk's documentation on github like conan or armbian project https://docs.armbian.com/ It will be more easy to send you commit instead of bugreport...

Tested on AlmaLinux.

# uname -a
Linux server2023 5.14.0-362.8.1.el9_3.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Tue Nov 7 14:54:22 EST 2023 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[John_Holtz · Accepted solution]

Hi @kairospace1 . Welcome to the Inventor Nastran forum. 

Out of curiosity, why are you using Linux? What advantage does it provide compared to the Windows solver?

Thanks for the comments. Here is some feedback for your items. 

1. This has been updated.
2. The period is required, and the syntax needs to be correct. The proper syntax as period space /opt/, so  it should be this: ". /opt/Autodesk/Nastran_2024/bin/nastran_vars.sh". It looks like the space is missing from the documentation.
3. Yes, you need to enter the current version of the license server and so on.
4. This has been or will be updated.
5. The documentation uses the wrong style of dash (probably an "en-dash" instead of a regular dash, or an HTML dash instead of a regular dash). If using copy+paste, retype the dash. It should not be an issue if the command is typed in without using copy+paste. This has been or will be updated.
6. We are checking with the group that maintains this page. However, the Linux version can be installed from manage.autodesk.com, so there is really no need to have a different page. (In other words, I suggest that the page be removed completely.)
7. I do not know Linux, but I assume that users can rename files to whatever name they want to use. Maybe the documentation should say "use the name of the file downloaded". 🙂

Note that there are several places where the documentation says "which will have a file name similar to (but may not be exactly)" to indicate that things change, and sometimes by entities that are beyond our control. (In  other words, the documentation can only be updated in retrospect; it cannot be 100% correct 100% of the time for 100% of the users.)

Let me know if you have any questions.

John