Unix at JILA
"Unix" refers to a family of related computer operating systems (including
Linux, Solaris, and Tru64) which are frequently used in scientific and
technical computing. At JILA, many scientists' workstations, as well as
shared computers such as jilau1, run Unix. This page provides basic
information about using Unix at JILA; follow the links within the outline
for further details.
The JILA Computing
Group administers most Unix systems in the department. Email
unix@jila.colorado.edu
with any Unix questions.
What's new
jilau1 upgraded:
jilau1 is now running RedHat Enterprise Linux version 4. RHEL 4 includes
some new software, including the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird
email client. Please email unix@jilau1.colorado.edu if you find any
services that no longer work as expected.
New Unix documentation is on this page!
http://jilawww.colorado.edu/UNIX_AT_JILA has been replaced by this
updated version, http://jilawww.colorado.edu/UNIX.
The system login message (viewable at /etc/motd) contains current information
about any scheduled downtimes, new services, etc.
Available systems
- Central systems are shared by all members of JILA.
jilau1, the
main central Unix server, provides shell logins, email, text and
graphics software, compilers, etc.
- Distributed systems are owned by individual research groups.
- X-terminals are available in the public terminal room (S240). Several
others may be borrowed
for use by visitors.
Getting accounts and network access
- Use the
online account form to request a new account on a central or distributed
workstation.
- Use the
online network form to request a new network connection or hostname.
- To log in to a system from the network, use Secure
Shell and provide your username and password.
- JILA provides a small
modem
pool for dialup access.
- Any user accessing a computer on the University of Colorado network
(including within JILA)
must agree to CU's policies
and guidelines.
Security
JILA has very few restrictions on network access so as not to impede the
free exchange of scientific data and ideas. As a result it's necessary
for individual users to take responsibility for protecting their computers
and accounts.
- Choose good passwords, change them periodically,
and don't share them with others.
This
page has some good suggestions for creating strong passwords.
- Encrypt your username and password whenever you log in across the
network. Secure
Shell provides encrypted shell logins and data transfers, while
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) can help protect your
password when accessing web sites or your email.
- Physical security is also crucial. Lock your office and the public
terminal rooms whenever they are vacant.
- Log in to JILA systems only from trusted computers. Keystroke loggers
or spyware may be installed on your friends' home computers, public kiosks,
etc.
- If you suspect that your computer may have been broken into, disconnect
it from the network but don't turn it off. Then contact a member of the
computing group in person
or by phone (but preferably not by email) to report the problem.
Email
It's possible to read and send mail locally (that is, when logged in
directly to the mail server) or remotely using a client program on a
computer that is not the mail server. The
Guide to email at JILA
discusses the mail services available to the department, and the
Unix email page introduces the details of using
jilau1 as your mail server.
Software
Some software packages are installed locally on each Unix system, while others
are available via the network from a server. Systems running different
types of Unix may have different software installed. Categories of
commonly-used software include:
Printing
JILA has two public black-and-white laser printers,
a color laser printer, and
a large-format inkjet printer that can be used from Unix systems. Click
here for
details.
Data transfer and archiving
It's straightforward to move data over the network between Unix machines,
and fairly easy to transfer files between Unix and Windows systems. Newer
versions of Unix also make it easy to store data on CD or DVD.
- Unix-to-Unix transfer.
- Unix-to-Windows transfer.
- Archiving to CD or DVD.
Sharing info over the Web
Individual users and groups can set up web pages that can be accessed
via JILA's web server, as described
here.
Getting started with Unix
There are literally thousands of Unix commands and utilities, but only
a few are needed to do basic work on a Unix system.
This page provides a crash course in
introductory commands and customizing your account, with a few hints
on using Unix more efficiently.
Usage guidelines and other info
Click here for additional discussion on
backups, downtime, charges, and computing community.
For more information...
Click here for details about Unix documentation,
classes and tutorials, useful web sites, and contact information.
Last updated: Wed May 18 14:53:40 MDT 2005