12 step guide on Installing OpenFOAM on Mac OS ( El-Capitan 10.11.6 )

I recently purchased a Mac-Book Pro 13'' 2012 Model, an old model but functioning as good as new. Getting a Mac for myself was in my bucket-list and finally I own it now.

Now the First Task was to Install OpenFOAM on this and let me tell you it wasn't easy at all. And finally after almost a week's struggle I have finally been able to Install it on Mac and that too the latest version of OpenFOAM 4.0 with Paraview-5.1.0 !!!!!

As it was a good long struggle for me and since there is no one stop solution for installation let me help you with the Installation. Here are the steps for installing OpenFOAM on Mac OS.

1. Install the homebrew package ( brew.sh ).  This basically is like a onestop package manager for all the dependencies required for Installing OF.

2. Now Install these packages one by one

 $ brew tap hombre/science

 $ brew install open-mpi  --disable-fortran

 $ brew install scotch

 $ brew install cgal

 $ brew install flex
 
 $ brew install boost --without-single --with-mpi

 $ brew install metis

 $ brew install parmetis

 $ brew install https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrklein/openfoam-os-x/master/formulae/parmgridgen.rb

3. Once done with Installing all these packages ( would take about and hour or more depending on your Internet speed ), Download the latest version of OpenFOAM tar file from the OpenFOAM website or git or bitbucket.

4. Create a disk image using the CLI interface from the command shown below.

$ hdiutil create -size 8.3g -type SPARSEBUNDLE -fs HFSX -volname OpenFOAM -fsargs -s OpenFOAM.sparsebundle

Size key specifies size of the image, as usually I keep all OpenFOAM versions on one image, the size is rather large but as it is sparse image, its size will grow as necessary (for example size of disk image with 6 different OpenFOAM versions is around 6G). Type of the disk image is Sparse bundle as it is more convenient for backup software. Volume name is OpenFOAM, you can change it to anything you like. File system type is set with -fs flag, in the command it is just extended HFS, if you'd like, you can add J letter there to get journaling. And finally -fsargs -s supply -s option to newfs utility that forces it to create case sensitive file system.

5. Mount the Disk Image

First create a directory with the name OpenFOAM

$ mkdir -p OpenFOAM

Now mount the disk image on the newly created folder

$ hdiutil attach -mountpoint $HOME/OpenFOAM OpenFOAM.sparsebundle

6. Extract the tar file into your OpenFOAM directory in home folder

$ cd OpenFOAM && tar xzf ~/Download/OpenFOAM-4.x.tgz

7. Download the Mac OS patch for the specific version you are using and move it into OpenFOAM-4.x directory in your OpenFOAM folder in $HOME

$ cd OpenFOAM-4.x && curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrklein/openfoam-os-x/master/OpenFOAM-<VER>.patch > OpenFOAM-<VER>.patch

Here VER refers to your version number

8. Apply the downloaded patch

$ git apply OpenFOAM-4.0.patch

9. Building OpenFOAM

Follow these few steps before you start compiling OpenFOAM

$ mkdir -p $HOME/.OpenFOAM

$ echo 'WM_COMPILER=Clang' > $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ echo 'WM_COMPILE_OPTION=Opt' >> $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ echo 'WM_MPLIB=SYSTEMOPENMPI' >> $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ echo 'export WM_NCOMPPROCS=$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)' >> $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ echo 'export WM_SILENT_RULES=Y' >> $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ echo 'WM_LABEL_SIZE=32' >> $HOME/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh

$ source etc/bashrc

$ [ "$(ulimit -n)" -lt "4096" ] && ulimit -n 4096

$ ./Allwmake > log.Allwmake 2>&1

COMPILATION will take about 2-3 hours


10. Testing your Installation

You can check your Installation with the regular way, by typing icoFoam -help and look out for the message or by typing

foamInstallationTest

This basically checks if all the packages are configured properly by OpenFOAM during compilation

11. Setting up Environment Variable

Sourcing OpenFOAM bashrc file each and every time you login to your system can be quite boring and time consuming. To avoid this copy past these lines into a file named as  :  

openfoam-env-setup.sh and save this on your $HOME folder. Source this file into .profile in your terminal by typing source $HOME/openfoam-env-setup.sh

#!/bin/sh

# If you'd like to setup environment every time terminal is launched
# create .OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-release file in your home folder. In the file put
# the string with a version you'd like to use. This can be done with:
# $ mkdir -p .OpenFOAM
# $ cat '2.X.Y' > .OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-release
# If you'd like to switch environment between versions use of2xy commands.

readonly FOAM_MOUNT_POINT="${FOAM_MOUNT_POINT:-"$HOME/OpenFOAM"}"
readonly FOAM_RELEASE_FILE="${FOAM_RELESE_FILE:-"$HOME/.OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-release"}"
readonly FOAM_DISK_IMAGE="${FOAM_DISK_IMAGE:-"$HOME/OpenFOAM.sparsebundle"}"

mount_disk_image () {
 local oldpwd="$(pwd)"
 cd "$HOME"
 # Attempt to mount image
 hdiutil attach -quiet -mountpoint "$FOAM_MOUNT_POINT" "$FOAM_DISK_IMAGE"
 cd "$oldpwd"
 return 0
}

main () {
 [ -f "$FOAM_RELEASE_FILE" ] || return 1

 local release="$(cat "$FOAM_RELEASE_FILE")"
 local bashrc="$FOAM_MOUNT_POINT/OpenFOAM-$release/etc/bashrc"

 [ -f "$bashrc" ] || mount_disk_image

 if [ -f "$bashrc" ]
    then
  source "$bashrc" WM_NCOMPPROCS="$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)"
 else
  echo "OpenFOAM $release doesn't seem to be installed."
 fi
}

# Reset environment variables for specified version
ofxxx () {
 local release="$1"
 [ -n "$WM_PROJECT_DIR" ] && . "$WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/config/unset.sh"
 local bashrc="$FOAM_MOUNT_POINT/OpenFOAM-$release/etc/bashrc"
 if [ -f "$bashrc" ]; then
  source "$bashrc" WM_NCOMPPROCS="$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)"
 else
  mount_disk_image
  if [ -f "$bashrc" ]; then
   source "$bashrc" WM_NCOMPPROCS="$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)"
  else
   echo "OpenFOAM $release doesn't seem to be installed."
  fi
 fi
}

of22x () {
 ofxxx "2.2.x"
}

export -f of22x

of231 () {
 ofxxx "2.3.1"
}

export -f of231

of23x () {
 ofxxx "2.3.x"
}

export -f of23x

of240 () {
 ofxxx "2.4.0"
}

export -f of240

of24x () {
 ofxxx "2.4.x"
}

export -f of24x

of300() {
 ofxxx "3.0.0"
}

export -f of300

of301() {
 ofxxx "3.0.1"
}

export -f of301

of30x() {
 ofxxx "3.0.x"
}

export -f of30x

of40() {
    ofxxx '4.0'
}

export -f of40

of4x() {
    ofxxx '4.x'
}

export -f of4x

ofdev() {
    ofxxx "dev"
}

export -f ofdev

pf () {
 paraFoam -builtin > /dev/null 2>&1 &
}

main

12. Restart Terminal !!!!

Now every time you start the terminal just type the alias related to your version

eg. of40

Now, this is for all the MAC users. Do not install packages Macports, it will create issues while compilation since we have installed packages from brew. ( from personal experience )