My question isn't answered here, what do I do?

If you have a question which isn't answered by this FAQ, you are encouraged to email lcseehelpdesk@mail.wvu.edu.

Where can I download OpenOffice.org?

You can visit http://www.libreoffice.org.

What is a good reference for learning GNU/Linux?

Well, there are a lot. One good introduction is located at http://www.linux-tutorial.info.

What GNU/Linux Distribution is used in the LCSEE?

Ubuntu

I am a WVU student can I get antivirus support?

Yes. Go here for installation instructions.

Where can I find documentation on the C library?

GNU libc is installed on the shell servers as well as all Linux lab machines. Documentation can be found here.

How can I add images/files to my LCSEE maintained wiki?

For this guide you will need to have a Linux terminal running. If you are in Windows, you can use an ssh client to connect to the shell server to perform these steps.

Step 1. Check out the wiki through subversion. Open a terminal and traverse to any local directory and use:

prompt$ svn co https://wiki.lcsee.wvu.edu/svn/WIKINAME

If prompted, accept the license. A new directory will be created in the current directory named WIKINAME.

Step 2. Add the desired file(s) to the newly created WIKINAME/trunk directory.

Step 3. Use the following command

prompt$ svn add FILES.EXT

inside the trunk directory, replacing FILES.EXT with the name(s) of the file(s) you have just moved to trunk.

Step 4. Commit the subversion update by executing

prompt$ svn commit

inside your trunk directory.

You may now create links to the file in the ikiwiki using the normal linking mechanism, simply type [[FILE.EXT]] in the edit box, replacing FILE.EXT with the file name and extension.

How can I request MSDNAA software?

The MSDNAA, or Microsoft Developers Network Academic Alliance, is a collection of software packages from Microsoft that can be given to LCSEE Students and Faculty. Some of the common packages include the Microsoft Windows Operating Systems and Visual Studio.

If a faculty member would like an operating system or software package such as Visual Studio installed on his or her computer, we can use the copy we have stored in the systems office to do that installation.

Students requesting MSDNAA software for personal machines must make requests through the MSDNAA Program Administrator, which may be reached at msdnaa-request@csee.wvu.edu

How do I login?

Ubuntu Linux machines now use WVU MasterID to authenticate. To make sure your masterid account is valid visit http://masterid.wvu.edu. If you know your masterid username and password is correct and you are still havingg problems logging email lcseehelpdesk@mail.wvu.edu, visit the LCSEE Systems Office in 701ESB, or call 304-293-3475.

How do I change my login shell?

ssh into shell.csee.wvu.edu and run the following command:

prompt$ ldap-chfn

Using this command, you can change many pieces of information dealing with your account, including your login shell. To leave an entry unchanged, simply press enter for that entry. Typically, the shell on a GNU/Linux account is /bin/bash, though you may choose alternately /bin/ksh, /bin/tcsh, or /bin/zsh. Although /bin/ash is an additional shell, it is not provided by default on LCSEE machines.

How do I burn cds under Ubuntu in the labs?

CDs can be created by searching for Brasero Disc Burner from the Unity/Ubuntu drop-down menu on the left side of the desktop bar. Select the project that you would like to create and follow the directions. Finally, click "burn", "create image" etc.

How do I burn an iso under Ubuntu in the labs?

Open the Brasero Disc Burner by searching in the Unity/Ubuntu drop-down menu on the left side of the desktop bar. Click the "Burn Image" project. Browse for for the location of the image file. Finally, select "create image".

Which files are automatically copied into home from cloudhome?

Every night at 5am home directories are refreshed and seeded with the following files.

		/cloudhome/username/.ssh/config
		/cloudhome/username/.bashrc
	      

How do I mount a cdrom under Ubuntu?

A cdrom should mount automatically in NattyL, however, it can also be manually mounted by selecting Places/Computer and then right clicking on the cdrom drive icon and choosing Mount Volume. In Unity this can be found in the "Home Folder" tab of the popout menu.

How do I unmount a cdrom under Ubuntu?

The cdrom may be manually unmounted by selecting Places/Computer in Gnome or Home Folder in Unity and then right clicking on the cdrom drive icon and choosing Unmount Volume option.

How do I get a listing of process under Ubuntu? (Similar to ctrl-alt-delete under Microsoft Windows)

The running processes are accessible through the system monitor applet which can be accessed though the menu path system/administration in Gnome. In Unity, the system monitor applet can be found by searching the Unity drop-down menu located on the left side of the toolbar.

How do I access a floppy/cdrom under Ubuntu?

A drive may be manually mounted by selecting Places/Computer in Gnome or Home Folder in Unity and then right clicking on the floppy drive icon and choosing Mount Volume. The drive can then be accessed from this window as well as the corresponding drive icon on the desktop. Be sure to unmount the disk or drive before removing it in order to prevent the disk from becoming damaged or risk having data lost.

How do I access the run command under Ubuntu?

Open a terminal and run the desired command in that terminal. To open a terminal in Gnome you can select terminal under applications/accessories or in Unity select the terminal icon on the popout toolbar or you can use hotkeys "ctrl+alt+t".

How do I browse files outside of my home directory under Ubuntu?

Files outside of the home directory may be browsed by clicking on the Home Folder icon on the popout toolbar in Unity or in Gnome, select places/computer. From here you can select filesystem which will put you in the root directory. You can follow the directory trees to reach the directory you want. Your home directory will have your username with a symbol of a house next to it.

How do I use instant messaging under Ubuntu?

Use Pidgin. For Pidgin, click on applications in Gnome, scroll down to internet, then over to Pidgin. In Unity, search Pidgin or select internet apps then Pidgin in the drop-down menu located on the Ubuntu symbol on the left side of the top toolbar.

How do I run remote X Applications from the shell servers on my MS Windows computer on the LCSEE network?

If you are using Windows computer that is connected to the LCSEE network and want to run an X application from the shell servers, such as the graphical version of emacs, follow the instructions below.

First, download and install Cygwin from http://www.cygwin.com

While configuring Cygwin, be sure to select XFree86 and OpenSSH when you are choosing packages to install.

After installation, open a Cygwin Bash Prompt by double clicking the Cygwin Icon.

Startup X by typing 'xwin -multiwindow &' at the cygwin shell.

Set your DISPLAY by typing 'export DISPLAY=:0' at the cygwin shell.

Login to the shell servers via SSH. Be sure to use the -X option to allow the X connection to tunnel thorough SSH. Type 'ssh -p 20110 -X username@shell.csee.wvu.edu' at the cygwin prompt. For the shell server, use your MasterID and password. The port has been change to 20110 as well and has been included in the ssh command above.

Run your favorite X application, such as emacs, and it should appear on your Windows Desktop.

How do I manipulate zip files?

In the file browser, you can double click on a zip file and it will open. To create zip files you can run Applications->Accessories->file-roller to manipulate zip and other archive formats such as bzip2.

How do I run Matlab?

Matlab has been moved to the new proprietary shell servers which will be running Cent0S. The proprietary shell servers can be reached by using the following command:

		  $ssh -Xp 20110 username@proprietary.lcsee.wvu.edu
		

		  $matlab  
		

How do I make and use a subversion repository in my home directory?

(1) Make a directory in your home folder* which will hold the repository. (Important Note: You DO NOT want to work directly on the files in the repository. Instead you will check them out and then use subversion to commit changes back to the repository.)

prompt$ mkdir myrepository

(2) Use svnadmin to populate your repository directory with the files subversion uses to maintain your repository.

prompt$ svnadmin create myrepository

(3) Import your project files into your repository for the first time. In the example the contents of an entire directory (named testsvnproject) are added to the repository.

prompt$ svn import testsvnproject file:///home/user_name/myrepository/

{shell output}
Adding testsvnproject/test2.txt
Adding testsvnproject/test3.txt
Adding testsvnproject/test1.txt

(4) Now you need to checkout your files from the repository to a new place so you can work on them. In the example the entire contents of myrepository are checked out to a folder called sandbox

user_name@host_name sandbox$ svn co file:///home/user_name/myrepository/

{shell output}
A myrepository/test2.txt
A myrepository/test3.txt
A myrepository/test1.txt
Checked out revision 1.

(5) At this point you can edit the contents of individual files and then commit the changes back to the repository. For the purpose of the example the contents of the file text1.txt have been modified. In order for the changes to be reflected in the repositry they must be commited back to it.

user_name@host_name sandbox$ svn commit text1.txt

(7) At this point you will be prompted to enter a comment pertaining to the changes which you are commiting. Do so and you are finished.

use the command "man svn" for more details.

* If you wish to set up subversion for your home directory and not a folder within your home directory, you will need to do an additional step, you will need to change the filesystem for your repository from Berkeley Database to fsfs**. This is done by simply running the command 'svnadmin create --fs-type fsfs'. Or, if BerkeleyDB wasn't detected at compile time, 'svnadmin create' will default to type fsfs.

**For more information regarding this, please refer to this link.

What is the default version of java, and how do I access it?

The default installed version of java is Sun Microsystems (c) Java RE 1.6.0. To access it, simply type java.

To verify that you are running the correct version, type "java -version" from the command line. The output should look similar to this:

              user@756esb001:~$ java -version
              java version "1.5.0_06"
              Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_06-b05)
              Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0_06-b05, mixed mode, sharing)
              

How do I access the free software version of java?

All csee machines also include a copy of the the free software version of java, although it is not used by default. Please be advised that the free software version of java operates on older version of the Java environment then what is provided by the Sun Microsystems version.

To access this version from the command line, you must invoke /usr/lib/jvm/java-gcj/bin/java instead of just java whenever you go to use the command.

To make eclipse use this version of java, follow the instructions for upgrading eclipse, but during step 3 use /usr/lib/jvm/java-gcj as the JRE home and use java-gcj as the JRE name.

Firefox won't start up, and it gives me an error saying "Firefox is already running" even though it is not. How do I fix this?

When either Firefox or Thunderbird are started, they create a lock file. The purpose of this is to prevent multiple instances of the program from running simultaneously. When Firefox, or Thunderbird, are closed, the program will automatically remove these lock files. Sometimes, this does not occur. The most common reason for this is improper shutdown of the computer. This prevents Firefox from deleting the lock file, so the next time it is ran, it will find a lock file already in place and fail to start. The way to fix this is to manually remove these files.

I'm in 756ESB, how do I access Windows?

We've moved to using a virtual Windows environment for this lab. To access said environment in Gnome: Open your applications menu(located in the upper left), click Accessories, then click Windows. To access said environment in Unity: Open the drop-down toolbar menu by clicking the Ubuntu symbol on the left side of the upper toolbar. Then search for windows and select the windows icon when it appears.

How can I run Cadence on the lab machines?

Candence will now be located on our proprietary shell servers. To use Cadence, you must first log onto one of these shells. ssh via port 20110 to shells with the following command:

		  $ssh -Xp 20110 username@proprietary.lcsee.wvu.edu
		

To run cadence you simply need to run one of the following commands (depending on the version you want):

#cadence-5141

#cadence-610

Alternatively you can start cadence run the following commands from your home directory:

		  $ cadence-usersetup
		

		  $ source .bashrc
		

		  $ icfb
		

I am running MPB, MEEP, and h5utils simulations and I receive a "Could not find colormap [color]" error, why?

This error occurs because some of the h5utils look for the colormap in the present working directory. To avoid this error, you can try one of the following:

prompt$ ln -s /usr/share/h5utils/colormaps/[color] [color]

prompt$ [h5utils command that you would normally run]

Or, you can add a flag to specify the location of the colormap. For example,

prompt$ h5topng -S 3 epsilon.h5 -c /usr/share/h5utils/colormaps/gray

How can I use TinyOS on the 756 and 813 Linux machines?

TinyOS is installed on our Linux desktops located in 756 ESB and 813 ESB. The installation path for this is /opt/tinyos-2.1.0

To use TinyOS, you will need to make sure that you are not trying to build anything inside the /opt/tinyos-2.1.0 directory and that you have sourced the bashrc file provided by TinyOS. The command is shown below.

source /opt/tinyos-2.1.0/tinyos.sh

To do this automatically upon login, you can simply add the line to your ~/.bashrc file. If you are having permission errors writing to the USB dongle, please visit the systems office in 701 ESB to have this resolved.

How can I run Slime (lisp) in Emacs?

Before you can run slime through emacs you need to edit your ~/.emacs file and add the following snippet.

		(setq inferior-lisp-program "/usr/bin/sbcl")
		(add-to-list 'load-path "/usr/share/common-lisp/source/slime/")
		(require 'slime)
		(slime-setup)
	      

With the configuration in place in your .emacs file you can run slime by firing up emacs and entering the following key sequence, where M (meta) is ESC or ALT.

		M-x slime
	      

How do I use ssh keys on the shell server?

If you would like to use ssh keys on our shell servers you will need to put your authorized_keys file in your /cloudhome/username/.ssh folder.

You will need to do the following to set up you ssh keys for use with our servers. You will also need to be logged into an lcsee lab machine.

1. Change the permission of your home directory to 711.

   prompt$ chmod /cloudhome/username 711

2. Create a .ssh folder in your home directory.

   prompt$ mkdir /cloudhome/username/.ssh

3. Change the permissions of the .ssh folder to 711.

   prompt$ chmod 711 /cloudhome/username/.ssh

4. Move your authorized_keys file into your .ssh folder and change the permission that file to 644.

   prompt$ cp /path/to/authorized_keys /cloudhome/username/.ssh/

   prompt$ chmod 644 /cloudhome/username/.ssh/authorized_keys

Keychain Access asks for keychain "login" after changing login/MasterID password?

While running Ubuntu, if you receive a message asking for your keychain password after you have changed your MasterID password, you can reset your keychain using the following directions. This will cause the keychain to be unlocked automatically when you log in.

1. Open "Passwords and Encryption Keys" which is located in system>preferences if you are running Gnome, or if running unity you can select the Ubuntu icon on the left side of the upper toolbar and type "password" in the drop-down search bar and select the "Passwords and Encryption Keys" icon.
2. Now change "Passwords: login" by right clicking on it and selecting "Change password"
3. Follow the directions which will require you to type your old password in followed by your new password twice
4. When finished, confirm by selecting "Ok"

I want Timmnix, but I need Ubuntu. How should I install Ubuntu on VirtualBox?

Currently Timmnix is only supported on the the 32bit Ubuntu 11.04 operating system. The following instructions are only the suggested installation procedure for setting up VirtualBox with an Ubuntu Guest.

1. Install Ubuntu using Vbox (see the instructions at "http://goo.gl/tm2LZ". These directions are a little windows specific but you get the idea for other platforms).
2. When asked about ram, go as big as you can (2GB to 4GB).
3. When asked about hard drive, go big (e.g. 32GB).
4. When asked about video memory, go big (max value).

1. When you first get into ubuntu:

   In the screen "preparing to install ubuntu" click "download
   		      updates while install" and "install this third party software".

2. When you get into ubuntu, find a terminal and type "sudo synaptic &". Click the icon "mark all upgrades" then "apply". Go get coffee and settle in for a while.
3. Now shutdown your Ubuntu installation and, before you reboot, do step3.
4. Your next step will be to setup your shared directory between your host machine and your Ubuntu guest. This can be done by going to the section How do I create a shared folder to use with an Ubuntu guest on Virtualbox? and following the directions
5. Next, follow the directions in How do install loud-timmnix on a personal computer? to install loud-timmnix on your Ubuntu guest virtual machine.
6. Finally, follow the directions in How do I invoke the timmnix environment on an Linux computer in our lab? to begin using loud-timmnix on your Ubuntu guest virtual machine.

How do I create a shared folder to use with an Ubuntu guest on Virtualbox?

The package loud-timmnix, which allows the invocation of the Timmnix environment, is also designed to be used on a 32bit Natty Ubuntu (11.04) guest in VirtualBox which has a shared folder. If you have superuser privileges on your personal computer, loud-timmnix will add you to the the group "vboxsf", thereby granting you access to your shared folder. Sure, you can do this yourself, but why not let loud-timmnix do the work.

You will of course need to first create a shared folder on your host machine, then enable this folder in your VirtualBox Manager for your desired guest machine. Make sure to select the option for automounting the shared folder, this will make your life much easier.

The following commands can then be used to set up your shared folder on your Ubuntu guest virtual machine. Execute the following commands from your Ubuntu guest virtual machine in the command terminal.

1. First create a folder to mount the Guest additions .iso to in your home directory.

   prompt$ cd

   prompt$ mkdir vboxguest

2. Download the guest additions .iso.

   prompt$ wget http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/4.1.8/VBoxGuestAdditions_4.1.8.iso

3. Mount the .iso file to a folder in the home directory.

   prompt$ sudo mount -o loop VBoxGuestAdditions_4.1.8.iso ~/vboxguest

   prompt$ sudo ~/vboxguest/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

4. Type yes and hit enter when prompted.
5. Reboot the Ubuntu guest virtual machine to see the effects.

   prompt$ sudo reboot

How do install loud-timmnix on a personal computer?

The following steps can be used to install the 32bit Timmnix package on your personal computer (not a lab computer). This can only be performed on the 32bit Ubuntu version 11.04. There are two ways to accomplish this. The first way involves setting up the correct repository which will enable you to apt-get install loud-timmnix. The 2nd method is running a setup script which will do the exact same thing as the first method. The 2nd method requires access to our shell server to download the setup script.

The 1st installation method is as follows... You will need to download and install loud-apt from our repository, update your computer and then install loud-timmnix. From a command terminal enter the following commands:

1. prompt$ sudo apt-add-repository 'deb http://loud.lcsee.wvu.edu/loud/ nattyl-test/'
2. prompt$ sudo apt-get update
3. prompt$ sudo apt-get install loud-apt
4. prompt$ sudo apt-get update
5. prompt$ sudo apt-get install loud-timmnix

The 2nd setup method of Timmnix on a 32bit HOME/PERSONAL Ubuntu based computer can be performed by doing the following:

1. In a terminal, use scp to download the setup scripts from the shell server:

   prompt$ scp -P20110 username@shell.lcsee.wvu.edu:/usr/share/loud-timmnix/etc/loud-timmnix-setup /home/username/

2. Next use the following command to execute the script on your computer:

   prompt$ sudo /home/username/loud-timmnix-setup

   enter "y" and hit enter when prompted

Now that you have loud-timmnix installed on your personal computer, you can visit our How do I invoke the timmnix environment on an Linux computer in our lab? on our "Frequently Asked Questions" page to find directions on how to invoke the Timmnix environment.

How do I invoke the timmnix environment on an Linux computer in our lab?

These directions are for the 32bit Ubuntu 11.04.

To invoke the linux environment Timmnix, perform the following steps:

1. First open a command terminal. Keyboard shortcut "ctrl+alt+t"
2. In the command terminal run the following command:

   prompt$ /usr/bin/loud-timmnix

You should then receive the following message in the terminal:

"There are those who call me... Timm... nix (version ##)."

You may also receive the message:

"usermod: group 'vboxsf' does not exist"

*IMPORTANT* To run emacs or vim in the Timmnix environment simply type "emacs" or "vim" in the SAME terminal in which you ran the "/usr/bin/loud-timmnix" command. This will not work in any other terminal unless "/usr/bin/loud-timmnix" is first called.

I'm a faculty/staff member, how can I access my Windows system remotely?

First, you will need to contact OIT's Help Desk to have your Citrix MasterApps account activated for remote desktop sharing. For information about how to contact the OIT Help Desk, please click here. Next, you will need to login to your Citrix MasterApps account by going here. Once you have logged into Citrix using your MasterID, click on the Remote Access application. Provide your IP address where promoted, which you can find from the following steps:

1. Click Start, then Run
2. Type

   cmd

   Then press Enter
3. In the command prompt window that appears, type

   ipconfig

   Then press Enter
4. Look for a line that says "IP Address" followed by a series of dots. The "157.182.#.#" number is your IP address, which you need to enter into the Remote Access Citrix application.

Keychain Access asks for keychain "login" after changing login/MasterID password

If you want your default keychain to be unlocked automatically when you log in, synchronize your Keychain Access and account login passwords by doing this:

1. Open Keychain Access (you can get to it by choosing Utilities from the Go menu in the Finder).
2. From the Edit menu, choose Change Password for Keychain "login."
3. Type the former password of the account that you are currently logged in to, then click OK. If you do not remember your previous password, in Keychain Access, choose Keychain List from the Edit menu, select the "login" keychain, then click Delete (-).
4. If you entered the correct password, a new window appears; enter the original password again in the Current Password field.
5. In the New Password field, type the password that matches your current account password.
6. Re-enter the newer password in the Verify field, then click OK.

How do I configure Mozilla Thunderbird to access my Mix email?

Mozilla Thunderbird provides an alternative to using the web interface for your email accounts. This is useful if you have more than one email account, and wish to be able to check them quickly in one place, or you wish to save your emails locally to your computer. In order to use Thunderbird to access your Mix email account, a few steps need to be taken.

1. If you have not already installed Thunderbird, please go to Mozilla's homepage and download and install the software.
2. Once installed, start up the program. The first time you run Mozilla Thunderbird, you will be prompted with an Account Wizard to setup your email account.
3. Now the identity screen should be displayed. Enter your name how you want it displayed to your email recipients. For example enter in Joe Mixuser rather than jmixuse25. Below that, enter in your full mix email address, which in this case would be jmixuse25@mix.wvu.edu. Once that is filled out, press next.
4. This next screen is the Server Information page. Select the IMAP option for incoming server. The name of the server is mix.wvu.edu.
5. Set the outgoing server to mail.csee.wvu.edu.
6. Your Incoming user name, which is requested on the User Names page, is your mix user name, which is jmixuse25, rather than jmixuse25@mix.wvu.edu.
7. Your Outgoing username is your LCSEE account name, since you will sending mail out using LCSEE's resources.
8. Finally, give your account a name so that you can differentiate it from other accounts, should you add them later. Press next and verify that the information displayed is correct. If it is, then press finish.
9. Before you can access your account, there are a few final things to do. Bring up the Account Settings screen from Edit -> Account Settings. In the lefthand pane, select the server settings for your mix account. Now, in the righthand pane, under security settings, select the TLS option. This will improve the security of your connection to the mix server. Additionally, you may also want to adjust some of the settings under the server settings heading to your personal preferences. Press ok once you have configured it to your liking
10. When asked to verify the identity of mix.wvu.edu as a trusted site, click "Accept this certificate permanently" then click OK.
11. Next, under Edit -> Account Settings, choose Outgoing SMTP server.
12. Click on the mail.csee.wvu.edu server you added earlier and then click Edit.
13. Click on TLS and then click OK.
14. The next time you send an email, you will be asked to verify the identity of mail.csee.wvu.edu as a trusted site. Click "Accept this certificate permanently" then click OK.
15. When sending an email, be sure to enter your LCSEE password.
16. You will only be prompted for these passwords once, each time you start Thunderbird.
17. Your account should be all set to go now. Click on the Inbox folder under your mix heading on Thunderbird's main window.

prompt$ lpr -Pps813esb -o Duplex=DuplexNoTumble foo

				
                prompt$ mkdir ~/public_html
                prompt$ cp ~/index.html ~/public_html/index.html
                prompt$ chmod 755 ~/public_html
                prompt$ chmod 644 ~/public_html/*.html