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Introduction to Using the Shell in a High-Performance Computing Context

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Connecting to the remote HPC system

Overview

Teaching: 20 min
Exercises: 10 min
Questions

  • How do I open a terminal?

  • How do I connect to a remote computer?

Objectives

  • Connect to a remote HPC system.

Opening a Terminal

Connecting to an HPC system is most often done through a tool known as “SSH” (Secure SHell) and usually SSH is run through a terminal. So, to begin using an HPC system we need to begin by opening a terminal. Different operating systems have different terminals, none of which are exactly the same in terms of their features and abilities while working on the operating system. When connected to the remote system the experience between terminals will be identical as each will faithfully present the same experience of using that system.

Here is the process for opening a terminal in each operating system.

Linux

There are many different versions (aka “flavours”) of Linux and how to open a terminal window can change between flavours. Fortunately most Linux users already know how to open a terminal window since it is a common part of the workflow for Linux users. If this is something that you do not know how to do then a quick search on the Internet for “how to open a terminal window in” with your particular Linux flavour appended to the end should quickly give you the directions you need.

A very popular version of Linux is Ubuntu. There are many ways to open a terminal window in Ubuntu but a very fast way is to use the terminal shortcut key sequence: Ctrl+Alt+T.

Mac

Macs have had a terminal built in since the first version of OS X since it is built on a UNIX-like operating system, leveraging many parts from BSD (Berkeley Systems Designs). The terminal can be quickly opened through the use of the Searchlight tool. Hold down the command key and press the spacebar. In the search bar that shows up type “terminal”, choose the terminal app from the list of results (it will look like a tiny, black computer screen) and you will be presented with a terminal window. Alternatively, you can find Terminal under “Utilities” in the Applications menu.

Windows

While Windows does have a command-line interface known as the “Command Prompt” that has its roots in MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) it does not have an SSH tool built into it and so one needs to be installed. There are a variety of programs that can be used for this, two common ones we describe here, as follows:

MobaXterm

MobaXterm is a terminal window emulator for Windows and the home edition can be downloaded for free from mobatek.net. If you follow the link you will note that there are two editions of the home version available: Portable and Installer. The portable edition puts all MobaXterm content in a folder on the desktop (or anywhere else you would like it) so that it is easy add plug-ins or remove the software. The installer edition adds MobaXterm to your Windows installation and menu as any other program you might install. If you are not sure that you will continue to use MobaXterm in the future, the portable edition is likely the best choice for you.

Download the version that you would like to use and install it as you would any other software on your Windows installation. Once the software is installed you can run it by either opening the folder installed with the portable edition and double-clicking on the executable file named MobaXterm_Personal_11.1 (your version number may vary) or, if the installer edition was used, finding the executable through either the start menu or the Windows search option.

Once the MobaXterm window is open you should see a large button in the middle of that window with the text “Start Local Terminal”. Click this button and you will have a terminal window at your disposal.

PuTTY

It is strictly speaking not necessary to have a terminal running on your local computer in order to access and use a remote system, only a window into the remote system once connected. PuTTy is likely the oldest, most well-known, and widely used software solution to take this approach.

PuTTY is available for free download from www.putty.org. Download the version that is correct for your operating system and install it as you would other software on you Windows system. Once installed it will be available through the start menu or similar.

Running PuTTY will not initially produce a terminal but instead a window full of connection options. Putting the address of the remote system in the “Host Name (or IP Address)” box and either pressing enter or clicking the “Open” button should begin the connection process.

If this works you will see a terminal window open that prompts you for a username through the “login as:” prompt and then for a password. If both of these are passed correctly then you will be given access to the system and will see a message saying so within the terminal. If you need to escape the authentication process you can hold the Control (Ctrl) key and press the c key to exit and start again.

Note that you may want to paste in your password rather than typing it. Use Ctrl plus a right-click of the mouse to paste content from the clipboard to the PuTTY terminal.

For those logging in with PuTTY it would likely be best to cover the terminal basics already mentioned above before moving on to navigating the remote system.

Logging onto the system

With all of this in mind, let’s connect to a remote HPC system. In this workshop, we will connect to ARCHER2 — an HPC system located at the EPCC, The University of Edinburgh. Although it’s unlikely that every system will be exactly like ARCHER2, it’s a very good example of what you can expect from an HPC installation. To connect to our example computer, we will use SSH (if you are using PuTTY, see above).

SSH allows us to connect to UNIX computers remotely, and use them as if they were our own. The general syntax of the connection command follows the format ssh yourUsername@some.computer.address Let’s attempt to connect to the HPC system now:

ssh yourUsername@login.archer2.ac.uk


The authenticity of host 'login.archer2.ac.uk (129.215.175.28)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:JRj286Pkqh6aeO5zx1QUkS8un5fpcapmezusceSGhok.
ECDSA key fingerprint is MD5:99:59:db:b1:3f:18:d0:2c:49:4e:c2:74:86:ac:f7:c6.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?  # type "yes"!
Warning: Permanently added the ECDSA host key for IP address '129.215.175.28' to the list of known hosts.
yourUsername@login.archer2.ac.uk's password:  # no text appears as you enter your password
Last login: Wed Nov 28 08:46:30 2018 from cpc102380-sgyl38-2-0-cust601.18-2.cable.virginm.net

================================================================================

ARCHER@, UK National Supercomputing Facility

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a private computing facility. Access to this system is limited to those
who have been granted access by the operating service provider on behalf of the
issuing authority and use is restricted to the purposes for which access was
granted. All access and usage are governed by the terms and conditions of access
agreed to by all registered users and are thus subject to the provisions of the
Computer Misuse Act, 1990 under which unauthorised use is a criminal offence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For help please contact the ARCHER2 service desk at: 
support@archer2.ac.uk

================================================================================

If you’ve connected successfully, you should see a prompt like the one below. This prompt is informative, and lets you grasp certain information at a glance. (If you don’t understand what these things are, don’t worry! We will cover things in depth as we explore the system further.)

[yourUsername@archer2-login0 ~]$

Telling the Difference between the Local Terminal and the Remote Terminal

You may have noticed that the prompt changed when you logged into the remote system using the terminal (if you logged in using PuTTY this will not apply because it does not offer a local terminal). This change is important because it makes it clear on which system the commands you type will be run when you pass them into the terminal. This change is also a small complication that we will need to navigate throughout the workshop. Exactly what is reported before the $ in the terminal when it is connected to the local system and the remote system will typically be different for every user. We still need to indicate which system we are entering commands on though so we will adopt the following convention:

Being certain which system your terminal is connected to

If you ever need to be certain which system a terminal you are using is connected to then use the following command: $ hostname.

Keep two terminal windows open

It is strongly recommended that you have two terminals open, one connected to the local system and one connected to the remote system, that you can switch back and forth between. If you only use one terminal window then you will need to reconnect to the remote system using one of the methods above when you see a change from [local]$ to [yourUsername@archer2-login0 ~]$ and disconnect when you see the reverse.

Key Points

  • To connect to a remote HPC system using SSH: ssh yourUsername@remote.computer.address

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