Andrew


The sources for andrew-8.0 are now available (and in tarred-compressed form). However, they have not been completely tested. We recommend you continue to use 7.5.

What is Andrew?

The Andrew User Interface System (Andrew)is a leading graphical user interface system meeting these often-requested needs:

Andrew offers an extensible compound document architecture which can create and combine just about anything, from text to pictures to graphs to spreadsheets to figures, into a single document on your computer screen. The system was aptly presented in a series of articles published in the Linux Journal during 1994. Read through them to familiarize yourself with Andrew. Alternatively, view the system by taking a look at Screen Images of the Software along with a description of how it works (much abbreviated alternative to reading through the documents above).

Andrew Carnegie illustrious co-founder of Carnegie Mellon University.

Will Andrew work on my machine?

Andrew has been compiled and used successfully on many Platforms. It probably runs on your machine. Take a look!

Where will I find the source code?

The source code for our most recent public release, Andrew6.3, is free and available via ftp files. Follow this link to Download the Source Code.

Browse through the Andrew6.3 Source Tree by clicking here.

What about ready-to-install binaries?

We also distribute free, ready-to-install Andrew executables. The binaries are available for the following platforms:

Follow this link to download the executables for:

Where will I find the Andrew FTP archive?

Andrew's entire Archive is available to you via the Andrew Consortium's ftp archive at Carnegie Mellon University. Besides the source tree, it contains all of the information written about Andrew since its inception. In this archive, you will find technical papers, newsletters to our membership and users, patches, announcements about changes to the system, plus all of items mentioned on this home page.

What other items might I download?

Bison A2.6 has been superseded by the Free Software Foundation's version of Bison: source, manual. The Andrew Bison A2.6 distribution does include useful alternate parsers written in both C and C++.

If you are running Andrew 5.1, you may want to download the "Unknown" Inset. This will allow you to safely view documents or mail which contain insets and features from later versions. Follow the link for more information.

Is there an FAQ file on Andrew?

Yes, the Andrew Frequently Asked Questions volume or FAQ is also available in the Andrew archives. It is a long text file (about 60K), but by using Andrew's ez editor to search it, you will find the answers to your questions in no time.

Have scholarly papers been published about Andrew?

A number of papers have been written about the Andrew User Interface System at various times during its development. The majority of these are authored by the programmers who created Andrew or by experienced users who submitted their work at annual Andrew Technical Conferences. Scan through the Papers Archive for the finer details of Andrew and its evolution.

How is Andrew funded?

Only through the generosity of Andrew Consortium members does the Andrew User Interface System continue to be made available to the general public --- free of charge.

Become an Andrew Consortium Member and join the many companies, institutions and individuals who support the system. The Consortium also has staff at Carnegie Mellon who maintain Andrew for your use and improve it whenever possible. Join up and gain early access to the latest system developments (like "members only" source code for Andrew7 in C++). What's more, by becoming a member you can influence the future of the system by guiding its development.

Get to know the Andrew Consortium Staff by clicking here.

What else can you tell me about Andrew?

All kinds of general information about Andrew and the Andrew Consortium is available on the web. Our most comprehensive document is Facts on File which will give you an overview of the system and our organization. Specific portions of this document can be found below. If you have additional questions about Andrew, try:

Our "official survey period" has ended, but we solicit ideas all year round. Please help us to improve Andrew and the Andrew Consortium by completing the


For further information, send mail to our electronic bboard:


Other Andrews

St. Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland.
Take a current look at the 18th hole at St. Andrews golf course.
Transarc sells the Andrew File System and successor file systems.
Andrew Corporation is a global designer, manufacturer, and supplier of communications equipment, services, and systems.
Here's a picture of hurricane Andrew (1992).
If hungry, write to Andrew & Alans Bakery and Chocolate Factory
Unrelated web pages are available for andrew.org and andrew.net.

This page is maintained by Fred Hansen (wjh@cmu.edu).