- Getting Help & Logging on for the First Time
- Where can I get help about department computer resources?
- What is RCF?
- How do I get a department account?
- How do I change my password?
- How do I change my default login shell?
- I think I forgot my password... help!
- I've generated too many password failures and now my home IP address has been blocked! How do I get unblocked?
- What computer resources are available for my use?
- What is my department account used for?
- What public computers are available for my use?
- Can I access my files remotely?
- Can I access UMass online resources remotely?
- What is my e-mail address? How do I access my e-mail?
- How do I forward my e-mail to another address?
- How do I send large attachments via e-mail?
- How do I edit my directory page and/or department webpage?
- Connecting with personal laptops & tablets
- Working with the Linux Command Line
- ....What are "man pages"?
- ....I don't recall the exact command name. How can I find out?
- ....What other information is available?
- ....How do I list my files?
- ....How do I make or remove a directory?
- ....How do I change directories?
- ....How do I create and delete files?
- ....How do I check and change file permissions?
- ....How do I redirect command input/output?
- ....How to print a file from the command line?
- ....How to check the print queue?
- ....How to cancel a print job?
1. Getting Help & Logging in for the First Time
Where can I get help about department computer resources?
- Check this FAQ page, as well as the additional documentation available on the RCF webpage
- For additional help, you can contact RCF staff by sending an e-mail to support@math.umass.edu
- RCF stands for Research Computing Facility. We are a resource for any technology-related questions in the Mathematics & Statistics Department. We are located on the 15th floor, and can be reached via e-mail at support@math.umass.edu
How do I get a department account?
- Upon arrival to the department, you will receive a welcome letter which contains your account name and login credentials
- Individuals who are not members of the department MUST find a faculty sponsor to co-sign your authorization
Method 1: Change password via a lab system terminal
- Log in to one of the department lab systems using the password found in your welcome letter. The lab systems are located in LGRT 1535 & LGRT 1537 - see here for more details. They can also be accessed remotely - see here
- Open a new terminal. On a lab system this can be done by right clicking on the Desktop, and clicking "Open Terminal Here".
- Type the command passwd. You will then be asked to enter a new password.
Method 2: Change password via self-service password portal
- The department now hosts a webportal on which you can change your password. The link to the webportal is included in your welcome letter. If you have lost the link, please email rcfsupport@groups.umass.edu to request it.
How do I change my default login shell?
- You can use the command chsh-ldap on ssh.math.umass.edu to change your default login shell
I think I forgot my password... help!
- Ask one of the RCF staff to send you a password reset link.
- Google the phrase "my ip" (or click here) to find out your public IP address. It should be a series of 4 numbers, separated by "."s, such as "123.456.789.10". Copy this address and include it in an email to support@math.umass.edu
2. What computer resources are available for my use?
What is my department account used for?
- Your department account provides you with a math.umass.edu e-mail address, personal webpage, and a computer account with file storage space and login access to public computer systems
What public computers are available for my use?
- Several public lab systems are available in LGRT 1535 & LGRT 1537 (LGRT = Lederle Graduate Research Tower). These systems run Linux (Xubuntu 18.04), and can be used to run mathematics software and print to department printers.
- For a full listing of computers available to department members, as well as a list of available software packages, please check here.
Can I access my files remotely?
- To log on to the math department systems remotely (from outside of our network or off-campus) you must use one of the remote gateway systems: ssh.math.umass.edu or ssh1.math.umass.edu (both run CentOS Linux). You can access these systems by using the ssh client installed on all UNIX-based Linux and Mac systems. There are also clients available for Windows systems (i.e. putty, SSH Secure Shell, etc), which will allow a remote login to our systems.
- For specific information about remote access, see here
Can I access UMass online resources remotely?
- If you require a secure connection to UMass online resources (such as access to academic journals, gradebooks, etc) while off-campus or on an insecure network, you can set up your computer to act as a SOCKS proxy in order to access the internet as if you were coming from our department’s ssh server. Instructions for how to configure this setup on Mac or Windows can be found here.
- We also have a department VPN. Keys are issued per-user and can be requested by e-mailing rcfsupport.
What is my e-mail address? How do I access my e-mail?
- Your e-mail address will be your department username (found in your welcome letter) followed by @math.umass.edu
- There are several ways to read and send mail, but the RCF recommends you use a supported mail program that integrates well with our existing mail server, such as Mac Mail or Thunderbird. You can also access e-mail from an Internet browser at https://mail.math.umass.edu.
- For detailed information on department e-mail, see here
How do I forward my e-mail to another address?
- Although it is not recommended, you have the option of forwarding your department mail to another e-mail account. Log on to either a public lab system or the public gateway (ssh.math.umass.edu) and create a .forward file (note the dot (.) is critical!) in your home directory using the text editor of your choice. Enter the email address you would like to forward your mail to, and save the file.
For example, to forward all your department mail to an account called myname@gmail.com, the contents of the ~/.forward file would look like the following:
- NOTE: When the .forward file above is placed in your home directory, mail is moved off the department mail server and forwarded along to gmail. If you would instead like to keep an original copy on the department mail server in addition to forwarding, add an additional line to the beginning of the ~/.forward file. This line should consist of just your math department username, preceded by a \ character. IMPORTANT: do NOT include “@math.umass.edu” - This will create an infinite mail loop!
For example, the contents of the ~/.forward file might look like:
\mymathusername
myname@gmail.com
How do I send large attachments via e-mail?
- The optimal way to send large files and attachments to collegues is by using your public_html directory. Log on to your department account over ssh or via a lab computer. You should see a folder called public_html in your home directory.
- Copy the file you wish to send into this folder.
-
You will then need to change permissions on the file so that it can be accessed by others. Open a terminal and type the following command, where "LARGEFILE.gz" is the name of the file you wish to send:
chmod 755 ~/public_html/LARGEFILE.gz
-
You can then send the link to the file over email (where "myusername" should be replaced with your personal department username):
Dear Colleague,
Here is the data from the last experiment: https://people.math.umass.edu/~myusername/LARGEFILE.gz"
- See Editing Directory Pages for documentation on customizing your directory page and for adding office hours, course descriptions, etc.
- In addition to your directory page, every member of the department has a department webpage, located at http://people.math.umass.edu/~username where username is your department username. You can build this webpage by adding html files to your public_html folder, located in your home directory. The department provides a website template that you may choose to use. Instructions for downloading and using this template are available here.
- To make your webpage visible to others on the web, you will have to make sure read permissions are set on the files in your public_html directory. To do this, enter the following command into terminal, either from a lab computer or on ssh:
chmod -R 755 ~/public_html
- There are many resources available for working with html. In particular, you can use a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") editor to design your page and export it as an html file. One such freely available editor is https://html-online.com .
- Remember that all changes you make to either page are live! In other words, any edits you make will be visible online immediately, so edit with care!
- The department provides both wired and wireless access to the math network in LGRT. Please be advised that the wireless is primarily for accessing the printers, and NOT meant to provide full coverage throughout LGRT. If you need a stable connection to the math department network, we suggest using a wired connection.
- If this is your first time connecting a personal device (iPad, laptop, etc) to the math department network, you will first need to register your device:
- Connect your computer to the Ethernet wall jack via an Ethernet cable. If there is not a cord provided in your office, contact support@math.umass.edu and we will provide you with one.
- Visit http://www.math.umass.edu and you will be automatically redirected to the Network Registration login page. Follow the instructions on this page to continue with registration.
- To be granted WiFi access, please send an email to support@math.umass.edu with the subject “Wireless Access – [your name]”. In the body of the message, you must include your computer’s MAC address. You can find the MAC address by following the instructions below for your operating system:
- Windows: Click on the Start button --> search for and open "cmd.exe" --> A command prompt window will open. Type "ipconfig /all" and hit Enter --> You should see an entry for each of your computer's network adapters. Look for references to "Wireless" for the correct entry. The "Physical Address" is your MAC address. This should be a 12 character sequence, such as "A4-58-6E-8F-3C-D9"
- Mac: Click the Apple logo (in top left corner of your screen) --> System Preferences… --> Network --> Select “Wi-Fi” from the panel on the left --> click “Advanced…” --> Select “Hardware” from the menu of the new window --> The MAC address should be visible. This should be a 12 character sequence, such as “a4:58:6e:8f:3c:d9”
- Linux: Open a terminal --> Type "ip a" and hit enter --> You should see an entry for each of your computer's network interfaces - the wireless interface will likely start with “wl”. The MAC address is a 12 character sequence, such as “a4:58:6e:8f:3c:d9”, listed after “link/ether”
- Once you have been granted network access, we will contact you with the credentials for connecting to a wireless access point. Again, note that the wireless is primarily for accessing the printers, and NOT meant to provide full coverage throughout LGRT. If you need a stable connection to the math department network, we suggest connecting with ethernet.
- To access the department printers from a personal laptop, you will first have to be connected to the math department network, via either Ethernet or WiFi. For instructions on how to do this, see How can I connect to the math department network from a personal device?
- In order to then install the department printers, follow the steps below for your operating system:
-
Windows:
- Log in to an account with Administrative privileges
- Connect to the math network, either via Ethernet or a wireless access point
- Download the following two Xerox drivers:
Repeat the following steps for each driver:
3a. Double click the downloaded .exe file to run the installer.
3b. Accept the license agreement, and make a note of the default destination folder (typically something like "C:\Xerox\VersaLink_B600_B610_PPD_Driver").
3c. Click Yes to grant permission to install the driver. You will eventually be promted to choose a device or printer to add. Instead, click "Cancel" to exit the install window. At this point the driver has already been installed.
-
To add a new printer: Click Start --> Search for “Printers & Scanners” (Windows 10) or “Devices And Printers” (Windows 7) --> Add A Printer --> The Printer I Want Isn't Listed --> Select A Shared Printer By Name --> Depending on which printer you’d like to install, type in one of the following URLs:
11th Floor Printer: http://print-spool.math.umass.edu:631/printers/phaser-1115A-BW-pub
12th Floor Printer: http://print-spool.math.umass.edu:631/printers/phaser-1235AA-BW-pub
13th Floor Printer: http://print-spool.math.umass.edu:631/printers/phaser-1335AA-BW-pub
14th Floor Printer: http://print-spool.math.umass.edu:631/printers/1435A-XeroxB610DN
15th Floor Printer: http://print-spool.math.umass.edu:631/printers/XeroxB610-1537-BW
- If step 4 is successful, you will next be presented with a list of print vendors and drivers. Choose Xerox from the left menu, and then the printer model from the right menu ("Phaser 3610 Class Driver" or "Xerox Phaser 3610 PS" for 11th, 12th & 13th floor; "Versalink B610 PS3" for 14th & 15th floor). Select OK. This should load the driver and install the printer.
NOTE: If any of these options are not available, you will have to locate them manually. You should only have to do this step once for each printer model (Phaser & VersaLink):- From the window listing the print drivers, click "Have Disk..."
- Another pop-up window will appear. Click "Browse" and navigate to the Destination Folder from step 3b for the correct printer model. Select the setup file "x2GPROP" for a Phaser printer (11th, 12th, & 13th floor), or "xrcnsrf_ppd" for a VersaLink printer (14th & 15th floor) and click "Open".
- Click "Ok" and then select "Xerox Phaser 3610 PS" / "Xerox VersaLink B610 PS3" depending on the printer
- Accept and continue through the remainder of the installation prompts.
- Repeat steps 4-5 for each printer you would like to install.
- Once the printers have been added, you will be able to print directly to any of the department printers as long as your computer is currently connected to the math network.
-
Mac:
- Log into an account with administrative credentials
- Click here to automatically download the file dept-printers.zip
- Extract the contents of the zip file (double-click on the dept-printers.zip file). This should create a folder in your Downloads folder named “dept-printers” that contains several files, including install-printers-mac.sh
-
Open a terminal window (Applications --> Utilities --> Terminal). Navigate into the dept-printers folder - this can be done by typing the following command into the terminal window, then hitting the Enter key:
cd ~/Downloads/dept-printers/
NOTE: If you choose to extract the files to a location other than your Downloads folder, you should navigate to that directory instead -
Next, run the printer installation script by typing the following command verbatim into the Terminal:
./install-printers-mac.sh
Again, hit the Enter key to execute the command. Type in your admin account password when prompted, then hit Enter. (Note that the terminal does not display any characters as you type the password – this is normal and your keystrokes are still being recorded by the terminal)
- To verify the installation was successful, open System Preferences --> Printers & Scanners. Five department printers (one for each floor) should now be listed among your printers
- Once the printers have been installed, you will be able to print directly to any department printer as long as your computer is currently connected to the math network.
-
Linux:
- Log into an account with admin (sudo) credentials
- Click here to automatically download the file dept-printers.zip
- Open a new Terminal window
-
Extract the contents of the zip file and run the installation script by typing each of the following commands one by one into the Terminal, separated by the Enter key:
cd ~/Downloads/
unzip dept-printers.zip
cd dept-printers/
./install-printers-linux.sh
- Type in your admin account password when prompted, then hit Enter. (Note that the terminal does not display any characters as you type the password – this is normal and your keystrokes are still being recorded by the terminal)
- Once the printers have been installed, you will be able to print directly to any department printer as long as your computer is currently connected to the math network.
-
- The info command uses Emacs to give access to information on many GNU packages, such as GCC, CPP, DVIPS, ISPELL, and EMACS itself.
- Google is your friend! (well, in this case)! There are many resources available online should you get stuck and need a refresher on terminal commands
- Last, but not least, there is often a kind fellow user sitting at the terminal next to you that you can ask for help.
- cd dirname
- cd dirname/subdirname
- cd .. to go back one level
- cd ~username/dirname
- cd ~/dirname
- cd will go to your home directory
How do I edit my directory page and/or department webpage?
3. Connecting with personal laptops & tablets
How can I connect to the math department network from a personal device?
Connecting via Ethernet:
Connecting via a Wireless Access Point:
How can I access department printers from my personal laptop?
4. Working with the Linux Command Line
man is the command used to access the on-line reference manual pages. Suppose you wish to read more about the passwd command. If you type man passwd at the prompt, the screen will soon fill with information about how the passwd command works. Quite often, you may receive more information than you bargained for. Obviously, this requires that you know the command name.
I don't recall the exact command name. How can I find out?
If you do not know a command name, you can use apropos keyword, where keyword is a word that appears in the command description. For example, if you want to know what the pascal compiler is called, simply type apropos pascal, and you will see the following :
pc pc (1) - Pascal compiler tangle tangle (1) - translate WEB to Pascal
What other information is available?
The ls command lists the contents of the directory you are curretly in. If you want to check what directory you are in, use the pwd command (which stands for "path of working directory"). Here's an example
pollard@lab1537-6% ls Mail letters staff ams-submissions misc sup-info bin ncaraph.l template.tex elmrc papers z-modules grades setaccounts
There are many parameters to the ls command to display specific information about the files. You can read about these using the man command. One flag of particular use is the -F flag. This tells UNIX to list your files with some extra information. Here is what it looks like:
pollard@lab1537-6% ls -F Mail/ letters/ staff/ ams-submissions/ misc/ sup-info bin/ ncaraph.l template.tex elmrc papers/ z-modules grades/ setaccounts*
Here you can easily see which files are subdirectories because they have a / after them. Executable files are marked with a * and symbolic links would be marked with a @.
....How Do I make or remove a directory?
mkdir dirname where dirname is the name of the directory you want to create. rmdir dirname to remove it.
....How do I change directories?
....How do I create & delete files?
The rm command is used to remove (delete) files. It is very easy to use. Simply type rm filename where filename is the name of the file you want to delete. You may use wildcards (such as *) to operate on more than one file at a time. With rm this is very risky -- you can easily delete additional files unintentionally.
....how do I check and change file permissions?
If you do ls -l to get a "long" file listing, you will see a format like this:
-rw-r----- 1 ecke grad 9384 May 24 09:29 faq.html -rwxr-x--- 1 ecke grad 32194 May 22 08:00 a.out drwxr-x--- 13 ecke grad 1024 May 23 16:36 public_html
It shows (from right to left) the name of the file or directory, then the time it was modified last, then group membership and name of the owner, some number and access permissions. The file faq.html has read and write access for the user (leftmost column), read access for members of the same group, and no access for all others. To grant read permission to other users, type chmod o+r faq.html. To remove read permission from group members (group grad in this case), use chmod g-r faq.html.
The next example is an executable, a.out. The x in the access permissions list indicates that it may be executed by the user and members of the same group. You may use chmod o=rx a.out to make it available to all users.
Finally, there is a directory, public_html, marked as such by the leading d in the access permissions list. Note that to be accessible, a directory must have both read and execute permissions.
....How do I redirect command input/output?
In UNIX, you can tell a program that it should take its input from a file, rather than from the keyboard. For example the command ls > mylisting would take a listing of your files and directories and place them in a file called mylisting
....How to print a file from the command line?
If you know exactly which printer to send your file to, you can use the lpr command as follows:
This will send the named file to the chosen printer. You should be aware that certain printers have certain uses and restrictions. The simplest method for printing is to use a GUI (Graphical user Interface) displaying the contents of your home diretory. From there you may click on a file and have all available printers displayed.
printer name use location ----------------------------------------------------------------- XeroxB610-1537-BW (default duplex mode) rm 1537 1435A-XeroxB610DN (default duplex mode) rm 1435A phaser-1335AA-BW-pub (default duplex mode) rm 1335-AA phaser-1235AA-BW-pub (default duplex mode) rm 1235-A phaser-1115A-BW-pub (default duplex mode) rm 1115A
....How to check the print queue?
If you are curious to see if your job has been printed, or if you want to know if there is a long line for a particular printer, you can use the lpq -P printer-name command on linux. You can request different types of printing status information using these commands:
OPTION DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------- lpstat -a Show if a printer is accepting jobs lpstat -d Show default destination lpstat -p printer-name Show status of specific printer lpstat -u username Show requests by username -------------------------------------------------------------------
....How to cancel a print job?
The easiest way to cancel a print job is to issue lprm job # on Linux.
You can be more specific and cancel a particular job by its request-ID, which is displayed after you submit the job:
pollard@lab1537-6$ lpr -P phaser1537-BW-pub testfile request id is phaser1537-BW-pub-425 (1 file(s)) printout in room 1537 pollard@lab1537-6$ lprm phaser1537-BW-pub-425 request "phaser1537-BW-pub-425" cancelled
