Adds README.md and change the way ephemeris files are specified

README.md

+# PyFstat
+
+This is a python package containing basic wrappers of the `lalpulsar` module
+with capabilities to perform a variety of searches, primarily focussing on
+semi-coherent glitch searches.
+
+## Installation
+
+The script can be installed system wide via
+```
+python setup.py install
+```
+or simply add this directroy to your python path
+
+### Ephemeris installation
+
+The scripts require a path to ephemeris files in order to use the
+`lalpulsar.ComputeFstat` module. This can either be specified when initialsing
+each search, or more simply by playing a file `~/pyfstat.conf` in your home
+directory which looks like
+
+```
+earth_ephem = '/home/<USER>/lalsuite-install/share/lalpulsar/earth00-19-DE421.dat.gz'
+sun_ephem = '/home/<USER>/lalsuite-install/share/lalpulsar/sun00-19-DE421.dat.gz'
+```
+
+where this uses the default ephemeris files provided with `lalsuite`.
+
+### Dependencies
+
+* swig-enabled lalpulsar, a minimal configuration is given by
+
+```
+./configure --prefix=${HOME}/lalsuite-install --disable-all-lal --enable-lalpulsar --enable-lalapps --enable-swig
+```
+
+* [emcee](http://dan.iel.fm/emcee/current/)[^1]
+* [corner](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/corner/)[^1]
+* [dill](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/dill)[^1]
+
+[^1]: Most easily installed using either `conda` or `pip`
+

pyfstat.py

@@ -18,12 +18,20 @@ import corner
 import dill as pickle
 import lalpulsar
 
-try:
-    from ephemParams import earth_ephem, sun_ephem
-except (IOError, ImportError):
-    logging.warning('No ephemParams.py file found, or it does not contain '
-                    'earth_ephem and sun_ephem, please provide the paths when '
-                    'initialising searches')
+config_file = os.path.expanduser('~')+'/.pyfstat.conf'
+if os.path.isfile(config_file):
+    d = {}
+    with open(config_file, 'r') as f:
+        for line in f:
+            k, v = line.split('=')
+            k = k.replace(' ', '')
+            v = v.replace(' ', '')
+            d[k] = v
+    earth_ephem = d['earth_ephem']
+    sun_ephem = d['sun_ephem']
+else:
+    logging.warning('No ~/.pyfstat.conf file found please provide the paths '
+                    'when initialising searches')
     earth_ephem = None
     sun_ephem = None