Why won't WAVE run?

Here are a few things to check:

1. The command used to run WAVE must be typed in lower case, as in `wave -r 100s -a atr'. Note that letters in record names and annotator names are also usually in lower case.

2. Try typing wave with no command-line arguments. You should see a summary of options. If you don't, wave has not been installed properly, is not in your PATH, or another program named wave is in your PATH.

   Errors similar to `wave: can't load library 'libxview.so.3'' indicate an installation problem which is probably shared by other applications that use the same libraries. Use the command `ldd `which wave` to identify which dynamically linked libraries are missing. Locate these on your system (for example, using a command such as `find / -name libxview.so.3 -print'; if any of these libraries cannot be found on your system, it may be downloaded from PhysioNet.) Add the directories in which the missing libraries are found to your LD_LIBRARY_PATH. For example, if the missing libraries are located in /usr/openwin/lib, and you are using the C-shell, use the command `setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/openwin/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}'. Under Linux, if you can obtain root permissions, simply add /usr/openwin/lib to the list of directories in `/etc/ld.so.conf', and then run ldconfig. This solves the problem permanently (well, at least until the next OS upgrade).

3. If the previous test works, try typing `wave -r 100s -a atr'. (All WAVE distributions come with record 100s.) One of the following should happen:
   • If you see a summary of options, rather than the WAVE main window, read the message carefully; you may need to set the DISPLAY or WFDB environment variables, or the X server may not be running.

   • If you see a lengthy error message referring to missing fonts, see ``Where do I find the missing fonts?''.

   • If you see neither a summary of options nor the WAVE main window, the DISPLAY environment variable may be set incorrectly, the X server may be refusing permission to open a window, or your window manager may be waiting for you to specify the location or size of the window to be opened.

   • If you see only a message box reading `Record 100s is unavailable', your WFDB environment variable may be set incorrectly; in this case, find the directory (probably /usr/database) containing a file named `100s.hea' and append the name of that directory to the value of WFDB.

   • If WAVE 's signal window appears, but is solid white or light grey, and you are using a version of WAVE older than 6.8, your X server does not have backing store enabled. Click on any of the navigation controls (e.g., \ovalbox{\rule[-.3mm]{0cm}{2.5mm}\small\sf ~\tt <<~}, \ovalbox{\rule[-.3mm]{0cm}{2.5mm}\small\sf ~\tt <~}, \ovalbox{\rule[-.3mm]{0cm}{2.5mm}\small\sf ~\tt >~}, or \ovalbox{\rule[-.3mm]{0cm}{2.5mm}\small\sf ~\tt >>~}), or resize the window, to make the signals appear. To avoid this problem entirely (until the next time you upgrade your X server), turn on backing store in your X server. For instructions for doing this, and for what to do if the signal window is solid (or nearly solid) blue or black, or has only horizontal lines across it, see ``I can't see the signals!''.

   • If the signals appear, but there are no annotations or time stamps in the signal window, your X server has defective support for overlay graphics. Restart WAVE , adding the `-S' option to the `wave' command. Also see ``I can't see text in the signal window!''.

   • If you see a correct display, your problem is specific to the record you were previously trying to view. Find the directory containing the header file (`record.hea', where record is the record name) for the desired record, and append the name of that directory to the value of WFDB.