The program Elvira has its own format for storing models, a parser, exact and approximate (stochastic) algorithms for both discrete and continuous variables, a graphical interface for building and evaluating Bayesian networks and influence diagrams, with specific options for canonical models (OR, AND, MAX, etc.), explanation of reasoning, decision making algorithms, learning (model building) from databases, fusion of networks, etc.
Elvira is written and compiled in Java, which allows the program to run on different platforms and operating systems: linux, MS-DOS/Windows, Solaris, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to install Java before running Elvira.
You can download the most recent version of Java from the Sun site.
In Windows XP this file will show up as a compressed folder.
Please select the option "Expand files" on Internet Explorer and choose
the folder where you wish to uncompress them; for instance, c:\elvira.
If you have older Windows versions, you need Winzip or other uncompressor; you can download an evaluation version from www.winzip.com. By pressing Control-E in Winzip you will access the Extract window. Please check that the options All files and Use folder names are marked. In the field Extract to write c:\ (or any other directory/folder where you wish to install it); this way, all the Elvira files will be uncompressed to the folder c:\elvira and the corresponding subfolders.
When clicking on the above-mentioned Elvira.zip file, your browser may show a folder icon, "elvira". In this case, right-clic on that icon and choose the option "copy". Then go to folder c:\ and paste there the folder "elvira" that you have just copied.
If you have followed the above indications, the folder c:\elvira will contain the file Elvira.jar. You will also find an introductory manual in c:\elvira\first-steps\first-steps.html.
In linux, you must open a command shell on the directory in which you installed Elvira and enter the command "java -jar Elvira.jar". Elvira will automatically detect the language of your operating system. Alternatively, you can write "java -jar Elvira.jar -l ae" to see the interface in American English or "java -jar Elvira.jar -l sp" to see it in Spanish.