Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.8 or higher
Git (for cloning repository)

Platform Compatibility

muNet-AUVsim runs best on Linux. The included AquaNet communication stack is not compatible with Windows, but use of AquaNet is optional. The core simulation framework supports Windows using the muNet network simulator or direct-access.

Use of AquaNet is not required to run muNet-AUVsim. It is only one of the available options for simulating a communication network.

Core Simulation Framework:

Linux - Full support (tested)
macOS - Expected to work (not extensively tested)
Windows - Core features supported with muNet communication

AquaNet Communication Stack:

Linux - AquaNet requires Unix domain sockets and Linux binaries
macOS - May work but untested
Windows - Not supported: use muNet instead

Windows Users

Windows users can run the complete simulation framework with the following limitation:

Available:

All vehicle dynamics and guidance, navigation, and control features
muNet acoustic network simulator (full-featured simulation)
Ocean environment modeling
Visualization and data collection
Simulation saving and loading

Not Available:

AquaNet protocol stack integration
Use loadMuNet() instead of loadAquaNet() in your simulations

Step-by-Step Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/munet-ua/munet-auvsim.git
cd munet-auvsim

Create a Python virtual environment:
```
# Choose your preferred virtual environment name (e.g. 'munet')
python -m venv munet
```
This creates a directory for the virtual environment named ‘munet’ in your project folder.
Add the virtual environment folder to your git exclude list:
```
# Open in your preferred text editor
gedit .git/info/exclude
```
Add the virtual environment directory name on a new line and save:
```
munet/
```

Add the project to the PYTHONPATH for your virtual environment:

Linux/Mac:

# Open virtual environment activation script
gedit munet/bin/activate

Add at the end of the file (replace with your actual path):

export PYTHONPATH="/path/to/your/project/munet-auvsim"

Windows:

# Open virtual environment activation script
notepad munet\Scripts\activate.bat

Add before the final line:

set PYTHONPATH=C:\path\to\munet-auvsim;%PYTHONPATH%

Activate the python virtual environment:

Linux/Mac:
```
source munet/bin/activate
```
Windows:
```
munet\Scripts\activate
```
You should see that your prompt is now updated with (munet) to indicate you are working inside a python virtual environment (venv). To exit the venv, type deactivate.
Install the required dependencies:

Make sure you are in the virtual environment (e.g. ‘(munet)’ shows at prompt). Enter:
```
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

Verifying Installation

Test your installation:

python -c "import munetauvsim as mn; print(f'muNet-AUVsim v{mn.__version__} loaded successfully')"

Verify everything works by running the quick-start example:

cd munet-auvsim
python scripts/example.py

Expected output:

Simulation runs for ~60 seconds
Simulation progress printed to console
Output files created in outputs/example/Example_YYMMDD-HHMMSS directory:
- Simulation log file
- 3D trajectory animation (GIF)
- Simulation data file (pickle)

If the script runs without errors, your installation is verified and ready to use.

For a more detailed interactive experience, try the tutorial script:

python scripts/demo.py

Windows users: If you see an error related to aquanet_lib, this is expected. AquaNet is Linux-only. The core simulation framework will work correctly with muNet communication.