Questions from
the lab.

Install Docker Desktop and XQuartz, and make sure Docker Desktop is running. The installer needs an internet connection to download the project files and build the Docker image.

Run ns2 in Terminal. It opens an interactive shell in the Docker environment. Your ~/NS2Nam/simulations folder is available inside the container at /simulations.

From the NS2-Nam shell, run the Tcl script with ns:

ns send_receive.tcl

The sample creates send_receive.nam and opens it in NAM when the simulation finishes. Open it manually with nam send_receive.nam.

Make sure XQuartz is installed and running. The installer enables local X11 connections with xhost +localhost. The launcher requires ~/.Xauthority and mounts it read-only into the container.

Yes. Docker runs the NS-2/NAM image as linux/amd64 on Apple Silicon.

The project targets Apple silicon Macs with M1 and later M-series chips, including MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. It runs the linux/amd64 image through Docker Desktop emulation, and NAM’s graphical window uses XQuartz. Individual Mac configurations are not separately certified; check Docker Desktop’s current macOS requirements.

The project targets Apple silicon versions of Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro with M-series chips. NS-2 and NAM run in Docker Desktop’s linux/amd64 environment, and XQuartz displays NAM. This target platform statement is not individual certification of every model or configuration.

Put them in ~/NS2Nam/simulations on macOS. They appear in /simulations inside the ns2 environment and remain on your Mac between sessions.

The installer runs xhost +localhost to allow local clients, including Docker, to connect to XQuartz. The launcher mounts ~/.Xauthority read-only. The uninstaller runs xhost -localhost to revoke the grant.

Download and run the uninstaller from the README. It requires confirmation, preserves your simulations, and does not remove other Docker images, containers, volumes, or Docker Desktop data.