FAQ for libfsqca, acq, and Kirq
Claude Rubinson <cjr@grundrisse.org>
July 15, 2012

-   What are libfsqca, acq, and Kirq?
-   What are the differences between acq and Kirq? What is KirqST? Which
    should I use?
-   I'm having trouble opening a data set. What should I do?
-   Can I mix fuzzy (calibrated) and non-fuzzy (uncalibrated) data in
    the same data set?
-   When starting Kirq, I receive an error "Gtk-CRITICAL \*\*:
    IA\_gtk\_widget\_style\_get: assertion \`GTK\_IS\_WIDGET (widget)'
    failed."
-   Kirq's main window doesn't look like it does in the screenshots.
-   I think I found a bug, what do I do?
-   I have another question that's not answered here.

What are libfsqca, acq, and Kirq?
=================================

libfsqca is a "software library" (a collection of reusable computer
code) of the QCA algorithms. End users don't need to worry about this,
except to understand that any software packages that use libfsqca will
have similar capabilities and produce the same results. The advantage of
developing a software library is that any bugfixes or improvements that
we make to libfsqca will automatically propagate to the software
packages that use it. Currently there are two software packages that use
libfsqca: acq and Kirq.

What are the differences between acq and Kirq? What is KirqST? Which should I use?
==================================================================================

If you're unsure as to which software program to download, download
KirqST.

acq is designed to be used at the Unix commandline and comprises a suite
of small, interrelated programs. Kirq is an integrated, fully graphical
application that runs on Windows, OS X, and Unix.

Most people will want to run KirqST, which is the "standalone" version
of Kirq. KirqST is fully self-contained and avoids your needing to
download and install any additional dependencies.

I'm having trouble opening a data set. What should I do?
========================================================

For plain text files, the most common problem is that there's a stray or
missing field somewhere in your data file. In particular, check the end
of the file for problems.

For Excel files, the most common problem is that the spreadsheet
software has created extra, often blank, rows or columns. Check the
spreadsheet for stray cells. Whitespace characters, such as or , can
also create stray cells, so you should also try deleting "blank" rows
and columns. You might also try exporting the dataset to CSV and opening
that file.

Can I mix fuzzy (calibrated) and non-fuzzy (uncalibrated) data in the same data set?
====================================================================================

Yes. But the software will throw an error if you attempt to conduct an
analysis on non-fuzzified data.

When starting Kirq, I receive an error "Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA_gtk_widget_style_get: assertion `GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed."
=============================================================================================================================

We've seen this error with Ubuntu 12.04. It appears to be a collision
between Ubuntu's Unity interface and Qt4 (the GUI toolkit that Kirq
uses). Resolve the problem by installing qt4-qtconfig and changing the
"GUI Style" setting to anything other than "Desktop Settings" or "GTK+".

Kirq's main window doesn't look like it does in the screenshots.
================================================================

This is the "Gtk-CRITICAL" error mentioned above. Install qt4-qtconfig
and change the "GUI Style" setting.

I think I found a bug, what do I do?
====================================

We've done our best to make Kirq and acq bulletproof but no software is
entirely bug free. If will help us to track down the bug if you can send
us a description of the steps necessary to reproduce the problem. You
can email your bug report to the discussion mailing list or send it
directly to Claude at cjr@grundrisse.org. Be sure to identify which
version of the software you're running and on what operating system.
Please attach your data set to the email.

I have another question that's not answered here.
=================================================

Documentation is available at the libfsqca website,
http://grundrisse.org/qca/. You may also wish to join the discussion
mailing list at
http://mail231.csoft.net/mailman/listinfo/libfsqca-discuss/. Finally,
you can email Claude at <cjr@grundrisse.org>.
