Most of what I do in class will be predicated on the assumption that
you are doing your own work on a workstation console in the Statistics
Department.
This information is provided informally, to help
(a) Students who do not have Statistics Department accounts and
must work on Andrew instead;
(b) Students in or out of Statistics who would like to work on
a remote PC.
I also have a few words to say at the end about doing your work in
native PC or Mac versions of Splus, R, latex, etc.
STUDENTS WITH ONLY ANDREW ACCOUNTS
Basic information on setting up your andrew account, printing from
Andrew, etc., is available at the My Andrew website.
Full information on campus computing is available at the
Computing Services website.
Information about what equipment and softwhere is where on campus
can be found at Cluster Services.
By the way, Andrew has two flavors of unix-like machines that I
know of, accessible via ssh to
sun4.andrew.cmu.edu or
linux.andrew.cmu.edu
I prefer that you use the linux flavor when possible, since that
will be more like what I am doing in class. If something is only
available on the sun4 version, let me know.
STUDENTS WHO WANT TO DO REMOTE COMPUTING
Most computing in this class is done on UNIX/LINUX workstations.
Remote users can do this (just like I do in class) with any kind of
computer with a network connection and the ability to support an SSH
session and display xwindows when they are sent from the host
workstation.
You need three basic tools
(a) Web Browser
(b) Secure Telnet (SSH)
(c) Xwindows software
You may also like to have a secure FTP tool, if you want to
transfer files back and forth from the workstation to your local
desktop or laptop computer.
STUDENTS WITH STATISTICS ACCOUNTS
For ssh and sftp tools:
1. Point your web browser to www.stat.cmu.edu, select "private
area", type in your stat dept username and password when
prompted.
2. Then select "Statistics Intradepartmental Network (SIN) "
about halfway down the page. SSH and secure FTP tools are
available under the "Secure Logins" and "Secure FTP" links.
There are separate areas for Mac and Windows software.
For xwindows and other tools:
1. Point your web browser to the My Andrew website.
2. Select "Categorical" under "Software", then select
"Internet". Look for "Xwin32"; follow the instructions.
NOTE: To download software from Andrew, I think you first have to
download and install the Andrew Security Pack, available from
http://www.cmu.edu/computing/documentation/software/software.html.
NOTE WELL: The most effective way to *use* xwindows is this:
1. install xwin32 and make sure it's running. This is not
quite as trivial as it should be but it's not bad.
2. open a ssh session with the host workstation. Type
"who am i" at the command prompt to find out your machine
name (e.g. mine is something like "loanernic2.something.cmu.edu").
3. set the DISPLAY variable in the ssh session to your machine:
"setenv DISPLAY loanernic2.something.cmu.edu:0.0"
[note that the :0.0 at the end is very important]
[you only have to set DISPLAY once per ssh session]
4. start an xwindows-based program by typing its command name in
the ssh session [we have done this with emacs, ssh, xterm etc.,
in class]
One things you typically CANNOT do is initiate an xwindows-based
program directly from your laptop or PC, using rsh, rexec, xdmcp,
etc. You have to initiate it from an ssh session after setting
your DISPLAY variable.
STUDENTS WITHOUT STATISTICS ACCOUNTS
Everything can be gotten from the My Andrew website, so follow
the insructions above for getting xwindows from Andrew; the
same location also has the ssh and secure ftp tools for you to
download and use.
Mostly all the same tools that are in use on Statistics
Department workstations are available on Andrew workstations.
You will have to consult Cluster Services to find out exactly
where various software (R, Splus, latex, etc.) is installed on
campus. The details of any operating differences between Andrew
and stat dept workstations are up to you to figure out, but if
you email me with things you've learned I will share them with
the other students in the class.
Please contact me if a tool we are using in class simply isn't
there in andrew-land, or if you want to propose to use a
different tool to do a homework, inclass or project assignment.
DOING PRIMARY COMPUTING ON A MAC OR PC
Most of the sofware we use (Splus, R, latex, C, etc.) is available
for native use on Mac's and PC's. Some people prefer this. I don't
mind. For consistency and sanity's sake, I will prefer
overwhelmingly to do demo's on UNIX/LINUX. Software is similar, but
not identical, on mac's and PC's, and so if you go this route, you
will be responsible for figuring out the differences. However, if
you email me things that you've learned, I will share them with the
class.
-BJ
Thu Aug 28 11:52:26 2003