Hamster is a client application and metadata editor for iRODS systems

Hamster is a client application to iRODS systems with a userfriendly GUI. It brings the functionality of some iRODS-icommands to the graphical desktop on Windows, Linux and MacOS. It is a tool for uploading/downloading files and directories to iRODS, for editing and searching metadata in iRODS. Finally, being platform independent, Hamster-source-code can be used as example code for custom developments to interface your own research-environment with iRODS.

Functionality

• platform independent GUI (Windows, Linux, MacOS, python, Qt, mostly-one-click-interface MOCI)
• user program (no admin rights needed for running or installation)
• connect with any iRODS (like iinit, ils, ipwd, icd)
• metadata: add/edit/delete on dataobjects & collections (like imeta ls|add|mod|rm on dataobject & collections)
• metadata: copy/paste/undo on dataobjects & collections
• metadata: search (like imeta qu on dataobject & collections)
• upload files and directories (like iput -r -d -C). Optionally: add checksum-before-upload for later comparison with iRODS-checksums
• download files and directories (like iget -r)
• rename data objects & collections (like imv)
• delete data objects & collections (like irm -r)
• inspect object & collection: show all metadata, show replica's (like ilsresc)
• view iRODS users & groups (like igroupadmin lg)

Logging in to iRODS

Hamster supports two ways to login to iRODS. The first method is to re-use an already setup iRODS environment. The other method is via a pure Python SSL session (without a local irods_environment.json). In this case a settingsfile [USER_HOME_PATH]/.hamster.json holds the environment settings and user credentials.

Method 1: Using irods environment

• Login to your iRODS environment using iinit
• Run Hamster python3 main.py
• Hamster will use the iRODS environment and piggy-bag on the active iRODS session. It will create a settingsfile [USER_HOME_PATH]/.hamster.json

Method 2: Authentication using build-in pure python

• Create a settingsfile [USER_HOME_PATH]/.hamster.json
• Run Hamster python3 main.py

Installing Hamster

Choosing between PyQt6 and PyQt5

Current development of Hamster is for PyQt6. All instruction here are for building/running a PyQt6 version. PyQt6 sources are in the "src" directory.

However for those systems that cannot run PyQt6, a version of Hamster for the older PyQt5 is provided here as well. If you want to build/run the PyQt5 version, change to directory "src-qt5" (instead of "src").

Virtual environment

First, you may want to setup a virtual environment

python3 -m venv hamsterenv

on Windows commandline: call hamsterenv\scripts\activate.bat
on Windows powershell:  .\hamsterenv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
on Linux and MacOS:     source hamsterenv/bin/activate

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip

Clone repository and install libs

git clone https://github.com/Andries-B/Hamster.git
cd Hamster/src
python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Running Hamster

python3 main.py

Optional: Creating an installer

pyinstaller Hamster.spec

Dependencies

• The software is written in pure Python: Python >= 3.4 is needed
• Python libraries: PyQt6 (or PyQt5), python-irodsclient >= 1.0.0
• iRODS server: iRODS 4.2.7, 4.2.8, 4.2.9, 4.2.10, 4.3.0 are known to work
• iRODS server: only port 1247 is needed, no additional iRODS plugins are needed
• iRODS server: native or PAM authentication, irods_environment or pure python (no icommands dependency), connection over SSL
• Tested on Linux
• Tested on Windows (working: pure python, SSL, PAM authentication)
• Tested on MacOS