Complexity has a formal tie-up with Warwick's Centre for Scientific Computing (CSC) to provide linux-based resources, particularly for programming and computationally intensive work. New users of CSC resources are generally concerned with its Desktop Computing provision (Warwick web sign-on required). Email, web and network services are provided by Warwick IT Services.

CSC provides centrally managed linux desktop computing. You can log into any CSC managed desktop machine, locally or remotely, and you will see your same account and files. The rest of this page provides an entry and usage guide to get started and keep running; it does not deal with access to CSC super-computing. The "definitive" instructions are those given by CSC at the links in the paragraph above.

Complexity resources

Desktops and printers: see page restricted to Warwick Complexity.

Getting an account.

• staff and students: First register with Warwick IT Services. Then follow this page to apply for a CSC account. Choose a secure password, choose a UNIX shell ("Bourne-Again SHell" is recommended), and for research group membership choose "Other/Not listed".
  You have to follow the University regulations on computer use: don't share accounts or passwords, don't download copyrighted or inappropriate material, don't abuse or dergrade the system in any way — consult this IT Services page for details.
• subscribe to the email list: csc-linux-user@listserv.csv.warwick.ac.uk is the announcement list for CSC Linux Desktop, please subscribe here to receive important announcements.
  
• account for visitors: Follow CSC's instructions.

Remote Access

• using NX client: full desktop access; this is the preferred way to access your CSC account from any non-CSC machine, on-campus and off-campus: follow these instructions. For Windows, Linux or Mac OSX the NX client can be downloaded for free from NoMachine's webpage (look for NX Client Products). Install fonts as well (at least the 75 dpi fonts). This will connect you to the CSC server godzilla.csc.warwick.ac.uk.
• using NX web client: full desktop access also, follow instructions here. Your browser needs to have Java installed. Quick links: low bandwith, high bandwidth.
• using ssh with X: this is the way to log on to one linux computer from another, eg. from godzilla (which you may access with NX) to a complexity desktop (see above the list). Once logged in, you may start graphical applications on the remote computer. In short: in a terminal (eg. Konsole) type the following: ssh -X <remote_host>, where <remote_host> is the name of the computer you want to log on; see more detailed instructions here.
  

Network

• All the Warwick network is run by IT Services. ITS control and administer which wall socket ("port") is physically connected ("patched") to the network and which sub-net ("VLAN") it belongs to. There is a list of VLANs associated with CSC at the bottom of this page. Any port patching requests relating to CSC should be submitted to Bugzilla (see details below), but be aware that CSC must pass them on to ITS for action.

Running Jobs/Computations

• servers, especially godzilla: no CPU intensive applications should be run, rough limit is few seconds CPU time. In past we experienced account suspensions by CSC sysadmins for users running eg. matlab jobs on godzilla.
• desktops, eg. complexity desktops on top of this page: rough limit is few minutes CPU time, for longer jobs see CoW below.
  An explicit exception is running matlab jobs, including large ones (matlab jobs are not allowed to run on CoW due to licensing issues): for courtesy to others please look for a complexity desktop with light load (check with eg. top).
  If you are running a long matlab job (longer than a few minutes), please run it with low priority. To do this either start with nice -n 18 matlab, or alternatively start as usual, then find its process id number (PID) eg. using top, and then issue renice -n 18 -p PID.
  
• CoW, or Cluster of Workstations: any computation (job) expected more than a few minutes should be submitted to CoW, here are the full instructions. You will strongly gain with multiple jobs, because they will generally be allocated to a different machines in parallel. Even with a single large job, please use the CoW - it is an abuse not to do so - because otherwise it is liable to clash with other jobs allocated by the CoW.

Software

• general linux: CSC Linux Desktop provides a rich selection of typical linux environment, much broader than eg. IT Services Linux Desktop. To find an application, try search in the start menu, also see this FAQ entry.
• commercial software, including matlab, mathematica, maple, splus, intel compilers etc, but also some others: check what is available with module avail, then enable it with module add <module_name>, then run the application. Eg: module add matlab; matlab . (But for matlab, don't forget that it is installed on the student laptops!) See also FAQ entry.
• mathematica: to use mathematica remotely (eg. via NX) you need to install mathematica fonts locally: see instructions here (that page asks your CSC password).
  University staff (including complexity MSc/PhD students) can obtain a license for "personally-owned machines for work purposes", see details here.
• skype: you need to set up the audio devices: see instructions here (that page asks your CSC password).
• Microsoft Office 2003: winword, powerpnt, excel, iexplore are installed (outlook does not connect to the Warwick exchange server).
• what is installed? try browsing the desktop menu if you are using desktop access (sitting at the console, or using nxclient), and also try module avail. See more here.
  
• not installed? If it is reasonable, you may request sysadmins to install an applications for you via bugzilla (see below), or you can install (legally distributed) applications in your own csc filespace.
  

Printing

• kprinter: in "system options" (one of the bottom buttons) set CUPS server to cups.warwick.ac.uk, port 631, and select eg. printer N1521 (MSc room). In "system options" → "filter" you may select the few (or one) printer you use regularly, and then pressing the filter button up next to the printer name brings up only the selected printers.
  
• Possible CUPS servers are printers.csc.warwick.ac.uk (CSC) and cups.warwick.ac.uk (IT Services); see instructions here. From off-campus or laptop network you need to log into a csc machine (as there are network constraints), see Remote Access above.

Plug and Play Devices

• Simple USB storage and other devices typically work: try it. (Though the latest gizmo might not be supported.)
  

Help

• general linux help: see these locally authored tutorials, or more online resources. UoW Library has over 150 books on linux, you can check whether any title is on the shelf.
• online documentation: see CSC pages on desktop support, as well as the FAQ (rich in content but unsorted, use browser-based search on this page). Google might find you answers elsewhere.
• CSC online forum: fellow users are a great source of advice. Also, this is the place to discuss policy matters, comments, suggestions etc. See CSC user online forum.
• network problems: check Warwick IT Services status first.
  
• bugzilla: requests for specific intervention by CSC sysadmins (eg. something is broken, something is missing, etc.) have to go via bugzilla. Remember bugzilla is for "system support", not "user support". You are asked to check the FAQ, then search bugzilla for existing reports of the same problem, then submit a new "bug report"; see more instructions. Note you have to register your email address with bugzilla before you can submit a bug. As of now (2010.06.30) bugzilla is accessible from outside campus using your ITS username and password.
• email Ellák, if you have exhausted all the above options. See email at bottom of this page. In particular I would like to know about bugzilla entries which are important but have not been solved satisfactorily in reasonable time. ("Important", "satisfactorily" and "in reasonable time" are necessarily subjective.)

Comments to improve this page are always welcome! Also see contact email below.