Installing BICS

This page describes how to install BICS under two headings: basic installation (new installation) and installing updates (BICS updates).

• Basic installation for BICS  (performing a new installation) .
• Installing updates (setting BICS to update automatically, or initiating installation of a software update from within the BICS program).
• Removing BICS (de-installing the program).

Tip: You can print this information on paper by clicking the printer icon at the top of the screen.

Starting the basic installation procedure for BICS

Before you start:
You have a BICS account and have downloaded the BICS software via the Download section on this website. After completing the download, you can install BICS. Proceed as follows. If BICS has already been installed on your computer, you will see a message confirming this and the installation will be updated. Your previous settings and any information entered earlier are unaffected.

Make sure that you have the following information to hand during installation:

• BICS account:The email confirming registration (Welcome Letter) which contains your BICS account, i.e. your user name (the 7000 number) and your password.
  (If required, you can request a new BICS account using this Application form).
• Adequate rights: 
  • Windows users: make sure that you have adequate rights for installing the software as an administrator.
  • Linux and Mac OS users: make sure that you know the root user password in order to be able to execute the installation commands as the root user.

Starting the installation procedure:
You must start the installation procedure on the computer on which you want to install BICS. Close all open programs such as: Internet browsers, file management systems, editors, etc. This is required to avoid a situation where specific components are in use/busy during installation, which would prevent installation or updating of BICS.

You start installing BICS by double-clicking the executable file that you have retrieved (downloaded):

• On a Windows computer, this file is called: "BICS2-Install-x.x.x.xxxx.exe" and can generally be found in the Download folder on your computer.
  (where x.x.x.xxxx stands for the BICS version number).
• On an Apple computer, the downloaded file is: "BICS2-Install-x.x.x.xxxx.pkg" (can be found in the Download folder), which can be started (double click) from the Browser or Finder.
• On a Linux computer, you must start up the downloaded installation program as the root user or use the sudo command in a terminal window (note: select the correct installation file, i.e. the 32 or 64 bits variant, as the installation will fail otherwise).
  You can use these Shell commands to start the installation procedure with the .bin file.

A separate "Installation instructions card" is available for installing BICS, in addition to the extended description in the BICS Manual.

If a problem arises during the installation procedure, the Installation process initiates display of an error message!

Important notes: You must always execute the installation and/or update as an administrator or root user!

You can look for possible causes of Installation errors in the (technical) log files which are created by BICS. These files are stored at the following location:

• Windows: \Users\[gebruikersnaam]\bics2-install.log (in the Windows users directory).
• Linux and Mac OS: /var/log.

The section entitled "Using BICS => Tips & FAQs" contains many tips and frequently asked questions that may help you when solving problems.

If you do not succeed in installing BICS successfully, please contact the BICS Helpdesk. Make sure that you have the "bics-install.log" referred to previously to hand and/or send them to the Helpdesk (see also "How do I send log files using BICS?").

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Installing BICS software updates

Once you have installed the new BICS software, the program will automatically check whether new versions (software updates) are available. If a new version is available, this is displayed in the "Updates" section at the bottom of the dashboard (see example below). 

In addition to the Software updates, BICS updates the Configuration and Reference Data, see "Updates in BICS" in the section entitled "Tips en FAQs".

Example: BICS Update pane showing the availability of a downloadable update for the BICS Software and for the Reference data.

The following procedure is used to install a software update for BICS:

• Activate the update download for the BICS software via the Download button in the BICS Update pane.
• Retrieve the Update installation file in your browser via the Install button in the Update pane. You must initiate installation of the update file manually.
• Starting installation of the update (manually). Look for the installation file in the 'Download folder' and start it up.

 Note: You must update your BICS application on the computer where BICS is installed (i.e. on which the BICS server runs). A stable connection is required when downloading Updates, so avoid updating when navigating the waterway. You should preferably download and install BICS when lying at anchor. Use Wi-Fi if an access point is available. Also check that the status of your connection in your BICS software is shown as "Good connection"   .

Activating and retrieving the Software update
The BICS update will be downloaded after activation of the Download button. Once downloading has finished, you have to initiate installation by clicking the Install button. You will then see a brief explanation screen, which you must acknowledge, following which the installation file is retrieved.

 
Example: BICS Update available for installation (Installing application software updates)

Starting and Installing the Software update
After activating the Install button and acknowledging the procedure, the browser retrieves the update file and places it in the browser's Download folder. You have to manually start the update file that has been retrieved (the actual installation).

 Note: You must start the update file on the computer on which BICS is installed. You require administrator rights in order to execute the update (Windows) or you must be the root user (Linux).

You start installing the update by manually double-clicking the executable file that you have retrieved:

• Windows users: the file called "BICS2update-x.x.x.xxxx.exe" can generally be found in the Download folder for your browser on your computer.
  (where x.x.x.xxxx stands for the BICS version number).
• Linux users: the file called "BICS2update-x.x.x.xxxx.bin" can generally be found in the Download folder for your browser (note: you must make the update file executable first (chmode +x) and execute / start it with root user rights from a command shell, see the paragraph entitled "Starting installation" for more details).
• Mac OS (Apple) users: the file called "BICS2update-x.x.x.xxxx.pkg" can be found in the Download folder.

After starting the Update installation file, the installation will proceed in the same way as for the "Basic installation procedure for BICS" (new installation).

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Removing (de-installing) BICS

You can remove the BICS program from your computer again by de-installing it via the "De-installation" or removal program that comes with the software.

 Note: You must start up the removal program on the computer where you have also installed BICS. In Windows, you must have administrator rights in order to remove BICS. In Linux, you must remove the program as the root user.

You can remove the BICS application using one of the following options:

Windows:

• Via the "Windows Control panel", Uninstall option under Programs=> Programs and Features.
• Via the "Remove BICS2 installation" option, which can be found in the Windows Start menu option "Start => BICS2 => Remove BICS Installation".
• Using the program called "Remove BICS2 installation.exe", which can be found in the BICS Uninstall directory in the installation directory for BICS, generally named: "\BICS2\Uninstall".

Linux:

• Using the "Remove BICS2 installation" script, which can be found in the 'BICS Uninstall' directory in the installation directory for BICS, generally named: "/BICS2/Uninstall".

Mac OS:

• Using the "uninstall.sh" script in the BICS2 uninstall directory: "/Applications/BICS2/Uninstall".

After starting the "Removal" program, you see the following dialogue box where you can enter the command for removing the BICS application:

 
Example: BICS Removal program (de-installation of BICS)

After running the removal program, the BICS application will no longer be present on your computer.

You may wish to use your file management system to manually remove any remaining (generally personal) files (see the installation directory, which is generally named: "\BICS2" (Windows), "/opt/bics2" (Linux), "/Applications/BICS2" (Mac OS)).

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