Beamer Versions
I don't expect this will apply to many users, but it exists because in a small number of cases, it's important to be able to easily use a different version. Moreover, since I frequently test news versions, this versioning capability allows me to do that as conveniently as possible.
Beamer is software still in very active development, and GenISys frequently adds and modifies capabilities. I generally don't update our working version until I've used a new version for at least a few months, both so I can verify operation and also understand new features and behaviors. That said, there are times when it's useful for users to use a newer version, or conversely, to continue to use an older version after an update. To that end, our local BEAMER startup script allows you to choose from a number of installed versions. You can choose to run a specific version for a single session, for example, to compare different versions. You can also define a preferred version that beamer will start up with if you don't explicitly specify a version.
Important note:
Often, if you save a flow from a newer version of Beamer, you will not be able to run that flow in an older version of Beamer. So if you might want to do this, be sure to Save As... and give your flows different names for different Beamer versions.
To see what versions are available:
Use the command:
beamer which
$ beamer which
The versions of Beamer available are:
4.3.6
4.4.2
4.6.2
4.6.3
The synonyms available are:
NEW = 4.6.3
BETA = 4.6.3
PROD = 4.4.2
OLD = 4.3.6
$
The first list shows the numerical Beamer version numbers installed. At any time, there are several synonyms defined for the different versions:
PROD - The is the baseline, 'production' version of Beamer that will run if no other is specified.
OLD - An older version.
NEW - A new, released version that I'm still in the process of learning about. Likely safe to use.
BETA - I sometimes Beta test versions of Beamer before their release. I don't recommend you use any Beta versions, as they often have issues.
Starting BEAMER with a specific version:
Add the desired version on the command line. For example:
$ beamer new
will start beamer with the NEW version (version 4.6.3 in the above example.)
To define a preferred version:
Use the -p option to display any stored preferred version, or the -s option to store a preferred version.
$ beamer -s
1) Preferred version of Beamer to use if no specific version is given.
This can be a specific numerical version listed, or one of the generic
options:
PROD a stable, production release version
NEW a newer version, should be stable, but still testing.
OLD an older version, kept for compatability.
BETA a non-production, beta test version (Use Caution!)
or:
4.3.6
4.4.2
4.6.2
4.6.3
Preferred Version: [NEW]?
Preferences file updated.
Stored preferences:
Preferred Version: NEW
(Currently: 4.6.3 )
End of settings.
$
$ beamer -p
Stored preferences:
Preferred Version: NEW
(Currently: 4.6.3 )
End of settings.
$