How to Install and Configure NS-2 with Eclipse in Linux

Running NS-2

Ns-2 can be run both in windows or Linux platform.

Best option

• Use Linux 

How to run NS-2 under Windows?

• Using Cygwin (not recommended)
• Using Virtual machine
• Vmware station (not free)
• WM player (free and recommended)
• Virtualbox (free)
• others

Installation Procedures for NS-2 (ns-allinone-2.34)

Step 1: Download

download the latest ns2 copy . their are two methods to do that
1. go to terminal and type

wget http://nchc.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/nsnam/ns-allinone-2.34.tar.gz

2. u can download it from here
Step 2: Extract
extract the tar file in home directory  i.e. /home/username
OR
try this in terminal

tar -xzvf ns-allinone-2.34.tar.gz

step 3 :install
just type following commands

cd ns-allinone-2.34
sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libxmu-dev
./install

Step 4: Set environment variables

$ gedit ~/.bashrc

Add the following lines to the end of the file. Remember replace “/your/path” by the folder where you have stored extracted the ns-2 file

# LD_LIBRARY_PATH
OTCL_LIB=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/otcl-1.13
NS2_LIB=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/lib
X11_LIB=/usr/X11R6/lib
USR_LOCAL_LIB=/usr/local/lib
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$OTCL_LIB:$NS2_LIB:$X11_LIB:$USR_LOCAL_LIB

# TCL_LIBRARY
TCL_LIB=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/tcl8.4.18/library
USR_LIB=/usr/lib
export TCL_LIBRARY=$TCL_LIB:$USR_LIB

# PATH
XGRAPH=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/bin:/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/tcl8.4.18/unix:/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/tk8.4.18/unix
NS=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/ns-2.34/
NAM=/your/path/ns-allinone-2.34/nam-1.14/
PATH=$PATH:$XGRAPH:$NS:$NAM

Ensure that it immediately takes effect:

$ source ~/.bashrc

Note: the previous step is important; else you cannot successfully run ns-2.
(Alternatively, you may have to restart your X-windows, that is logout, and then login, or restart your computer.)
Now, the installation has been completed. Try:

$ ns

The “%” symbol appears on the screen. Type “exit” to quit.

Validation (optional)

To run the ns validation suite:

$ cd ns-2.34
$ ./validate

Configuring Eclipse to work with NS2

For most users of NS2, it would be easier if they can use a popular IDE to work with the files.
Here are the step by step instructions to set up NS-2.34 with Eclipse 3.5 in Ubuntu Linux.

Setting up Eclipse:

1. Download Eclipse SDK
2. Extract the SDK to a folder
3. Open Eclipse
4. Go to Help -> Install New Software. In the Work With bar type this:
   http://download.eclipse.org/tools/cdt/releases/galileo
5. Choose CDT Main Features and CDT Optional Features. Install them.
   CDT stands for “C/C++ Development Tooling”
6. If you do not have a working internet connection in the system you have installed Eclipse, instead of steps 4 and 5, download the CDT from the above mentioned site. Then move to Install New Software (see step 4) -> Add and add the archive downloaded.

Enabling debugging in NS2

1. Edit Makefile:
   • Open “…/ns-allinone-2.34/ns-2.34/Makefile.in”and
   • Add these lines anywhere near the top of the file:CCOPT = -g
DEFINE = -DNDEBUG
DEFINE = -DDEBUG
   • Navigate to …/ns-allinone-2.34/ns-2.34 and run “./configure”
2. Navigate to the NS-2 folder using terminal and type ./install
3. Also, follow the instructions are displayed at the end of a successful installation. These instructions are to modify the PATH variable and other environment variables as needed.

Adding NS-2 as a Project in Eclipse:

1. Open Eclipse
2. Set the workspace as the ns installation path( /home/username/ns-allinone-2.34 ) by selecting File -> Switch Workspace
3. Choose File -> New -> Project -> C++ Project
4. Select Project Type as Makefile Project -> Empty C++ Project.
   Toolchains: Linux GCC
5. Enter Project Name as ns-2.34
6. Uncheck “Use default location” then browse to the directory NS-2 source directory ( …/ns-allione-2.34/ns-2.34 )
7. Select “Next” and “Finish.
8. From the workspace, Selecting the NS-2 Project and choosing Project -> Build All should not give Error.
9. Running the project must open the console with the NS-2 prompt, %

Setting Debug Configuration:

1. Select Run -> Debug Configurations
2. Choose C/C++ Application. Type in any name.
3. Under the Main tab, Choose the following:
   Project as ns-2.34.
   C/C++ Application as ns. (Search Project and Choose this)
4. Under the Debugger tab, choose GDB Debugger. Uncheck the “Stop on startup at” option.
5. Apply and Debug.

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Update from Readers: Changes to be made in Makefile.in file:
Add -g to the line CCOPT = @V_CCOPT@

CCOPT = @V_CCOPT@ -g

Add -DNDEBUG -DDEBUG to the end of the following line:

DEFINE = -DTCP_DELAY_BIND_ALL -DNO_TK @V_DEFINE@ @V_DEFINES@ @DEFS@-DNS_DIFFUSION
-DSMAC_NO_SYNC -DCPP_NAMESPACE=@CPP_NAMESPACE@-DUSE_SINGLE_ADDRESS_SPACE -Drng_test -DNDEBUG -DDEBUG

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Useful tips: 
Apart from doing "make clean"  every time you make changes to the c++ files, you can just delete the *.o files in that folder and just do make only. This will save your development time.