Linux is the operating system of choice for multiuser, multitasking, networked, and high-performance computer applications. At Dartmouth, Linux runs most of the machines that provide core services, and all of the Research Computing group machines run Linux. These include the general access central machines and the research systems.
At Dartmouth, there are many flavors of Linux in use. Although they differ slightly in their command vocabulary and system administration procedures, they all share a high degree of similarity in structure and functionality, especially in areas of power, networking, flexibility, and multitasking. Below are some basic guidelines for using Unix at Dartmouth.
Your initial password and subsequent resets will be a combination of your Dartmouth ID number and a random set of characters that will be mailed to you. You should change your password to one of your own choosing as soon as you are able to log in, using the passwd command at the shell prompt.
Good passwords should be as random a sequence of characters as you can create and still remember. Some systems limit you to eight characters, but longer passwords are recommended. Some systems may also vet your password and reject simple words.
The recommended method of selecting a password is to think of a phrase that has some meaning to you, then use initial letters or numbers from the phrase. You can remember a password phrase more easily than a random sequence. For example, Raindrops and Roses and Whiskers on kittens: R&RaWok.
In the event of a problem please send e-mail to Research.Computing@Dartmouth.edu.
You can connect from a PC to a Linux machine in one of two ways, depending on what you want to accomplish, what services are available on the remote host, and whether you require graphics to be displayed. You can use a text-only connection (also referred to as a tty, command line, or terminal interface) or a graphical (X-windows) connection.
SSH secure shell is used to connect to Research Computing systems for command line connections. All communication with the remote host is encrypted with a very secure algorithm based on public key cryptography. The advantage to this is that network traffic can pass through an untrusted channel without danger of being decoded.
For X-Windows (graphical) access, the user must run a program called an X Server on their desktop computer, which interprets and displays the graphical output of programs running on the remote UNIX system. The X Server can initiate programs using the mechanisms of command line logins. X-Windows connections can be "tunneled" through an encrypted channel if used in conjunction with SSH, providing a completely secure graphical connection.
To connect to a Linux computer from a Mac OS X computer using a command line interface, start up the Terminal program that is in the Application -> Utilities folder, then issue the command ssh or sftp. For example: ssh andes.dartmouth.edu -l jsmith to connect from your Mac to the central machine "andes"
Mac OS X comes with Apple's own X11 software.
1- You need an ssh-client for Windows, Mac or Linux (see above)
2 - It is strongly suggested that you use a VPN connection. Point your browser to http://gateway.dartmouth.edu and follow directions. Once you have a VPN connection, establish a connection to the server using ssh
3 - You can request an account on "sshlogin.dartmouth.edu". Connect to sshlogin using an ssh client and then connect to the server you need to access
Researchers have access to RStor for data storage. See RStor - Data Storage for Researchers.
To restore your data or files, e-mail Research.Computing@Dartmouth.edu.
