https://www.cs.vassar.edu/ 2026-04-12T09:45:48+00:00 https://www.cs.vassar.edu/ https://www.cs.vassar.edu/_media/favicon.ico text/html 2018-08-24T18:16:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/use_and_abuse?rev=1535134614&do=diff From time to time issues of computer privacy, fair use, or appropriate use of the Computer Science Department computer facilities come up. Any discussion must start with an understanding of the campus regulations on computer use. Campus Computer Regulations text/html 2023-03-06T19:51:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/jump?rev=1678132316&do=diff SSH Proxy Jump (Might as Well Proxy Jump!) Announcement (March 06, 2023) As of March 06th, 2023, direct internet access to the CS Department bastion servers is no longer allowed. If you want to access these bastion servers then you need to be on the text/html 2009-10-14T17:24:59+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/isohome?rev=1255541099&do=diff Backup to CD/DVD ---------- * * * * * * ---------- <BOOKMARK:quick> The really short version of the instructions If you just want to do this without delay and can get to the CS lab... * Bring a blank CD or DVD to the lab * text/html 2010-12-06T15:30:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/kill_a_process?rev=1291649428&do=diff Monitoring and Killing Processes Any process you own you can kill (this is not a moral judgment, just a fact of life in Unix and Linux). Killing an offending process graphically If the machine itself is still responsive (but one or more windows perhaps aren't) you can try one of the Graphical Process Managers on our system.$$xfce4-taskmanager$$````````$$gnome-system-monitor$$```````` text/html 2020-07-04T20:59:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/filecopy?rev=1593896345&do=diff Secure Shell on macOS, Unix, and Linux Installation Any modern Unix-like operating systems should come with secure shell client utilities already installed. This is true for macOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandrake Linux, FreeBSD and many others. If, however, you need a ssh client, you can download one from the openssh website: text/html 2023-01-05T22:19:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/mitm?rev=1672957190&do=diff Host Key Verification Failed At some point you may attempt to SSH into a server, workstation or device, e.g. “my_server”, that you have logged into before and you encounter a long, scary message as follows that ends with “Host Key Verification Failed text/html 2015-08-26T20:52:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/backups?rev=1440622373&do=diff FIXME update, convert to wiki, add link to isohome Backup With Tar ---------- * Overview * Creating a tar file of your entire directory * Copying the file to another location * Tar Documentation ---------- Overview While I make regular backups of the home directories on the Computer Science Unix machines, there are times when you want to have your own copy of your account. There are several relatively painless ways to accomplish this task. I will describe one of them here. If you n… text/html 2025-09-30T20:21:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/access?rev=1759263688&do=diff Remote Access If you want to connect to CS machines from your dorm room or home, use a web browser or an SSH client. SSH encrypts all communications, so connections are secure. CS systems are normally accessible only from campus networks; for off‑campus access the supported method is Citrix. Citrix works best via the `ssh acl215` text/html 2010-12-08T19:20:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/inhouse/server_list?rev=1291836036&do=diff CS Servers Physical CS Department Servers Date Number installed Disks Space NAME type In Srv CPU & speed memory #xSize,type tot/used Function Pacific x3650 2007.1 Xeon 4x3gig 12gig 6x73g,sas text/html 2025-09-30T20:45:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/password?rev=1759265121&do=diff First Time Login The first time you log into a CS workstation with a temporary password, the login page will help you reset your password. First, enter your username (this will be the same as your Vassar email address, before the @-symbol): Enter your temporary password, which should have been given to you by your professor or sysadmin: text/html 2022-09-02T18:02:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/account.size?rev=1662141739&do=diff Account Size Here are a few tips for managing the size of your Computer Science Unix account. How Much Space does My Account Use? du -s -h /home/YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME This command will give you your total account size. The “-h” stands for “human readable text/html 2019-05-24T11:55:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/windows?rev=1558698954&do=diff Secure Shell on Windows Installation To log in to the CS Department computers, you will need a SSH client. There are several free SSH clients available for Windows. We have used PuTTY with great success. We have also used WinSCP to copy files between Windows and Unix computers. text/html 2020-07-04T21:02:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/vnc?rev=1593896566&do=diff Using VNC What is VNC? NOTE: VNC is deprecated. For all remote desktop access, we ask that you use X2Go (found here). VNC is a system for interacting with a computer display remotely, over a network. This technology was developed by AT&T Laboratories, and is now available for free over the internet (distributed under the GNU General Public License. Visit the text/html 2023-01-19T02:50:27+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/sshkeys?rev=1674096627&do=diff Setting up SSH Keys Note : This tutorial assumes that you are running a linux-based operating system. The procedure for setting up keys on an Apple Mac OS X machine is similar to this procedure, but you may need to make some minor adjustments. There is a separate text/html 2024-03-27T13:08:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/ssh?rev=1711544886&do=diff Accessing CS Systems The easiest way to gain access the Computer Science Dept. Linux machines outside of the Asprey computer lab. This gives you terminal access to the command line inside the department, and it allows you to send files back and forth to your home directory. Since it has no remote text/html 2011-09-22T17:43:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/java_system_tips?rev=1316713392&do=diff Java issues and tips Java remote method invocation problem Problem: When running a demo of Java's remote method invocation on our Ubuntu 9.04 based linux machines running java-6-openjdk the client could only attach to a server running on the same host.```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` text/html 2024-04-30T14:38:10+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/printing?rev=1714487890&do=diff Setup To enable the printer, on the linux cmd line: * cd ~ * mkdir .cups * cd .cups * echo 'User 999nnnnnn' > client.conf (ensure that single quotes are used your 999 is entered) * chmod 400 client.conf (ensure that you can only read the file) text/html 2025-06-27T18:49:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/browser_wont_start?rev=1751050146&do=diff Help, my browser won't load! Generally, if you click the browser icon and it doesn't do anything, or gives you an error that mentions profiles, there's probably a previous instance of the browser that didn't clean up after itself. The first thing to check is if you have the browser open on another workstation. If you're logged into two workstations and try to start a browser on both of them, it will cause an error because the application wants to ensure that there is only one copy of it running… text/html 2008-05-07T02:42:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/isohome.script?rev=1210128164&do=diff isohome Isohome is a simple script that tries to make an image of your CS home directory that is suitable for burning onto a CD or DVD. It will confirm that you are running it from the machine where your home directory is actually a local disk. If not it will tell you which machine you need to run the script from. text/html 2010-10-29T19:16:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/inhouse/using_htaccess?rev=1288379766&do=diff Using htaccess for web pages Please note: htaccess is for pages served from OUTSIDE THE WIKI in users directories. The wiki has similar ability, but it is set up differently -Greg Web Access Restriction by user/password This can be used in many ways, the user and password are not related to our system users and passwords, so you can use anything you like, however, there is no mechanism for the web users to maintain or reset their htaccess password so it can become a maintenance nightmare qui… text/html 2025-06-27T18:46:14+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/frozen?rev=1751049974&do=diff Frozen Machine! If you have a process, a window, or a machine that seems to have “frozen” while you were working on it, became “stuck,” is not responding to the keyboard or mouse, or is spewing out garbage into a window here is what you can try. If the steps below don't work, please get more help! Either ask a coach, an instructor or find or write me. text/html 2016-09-29T18:34:13+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/x2go/linux?rev=1475174053&do=diff X2Go Ubuntu Installation * Step 1: Open a shell (Note: on most systems, you can to this by typing in Ctrl-Alt-t). * Step 2: Type in sudo apt-get install x2goclient. Hit Enter. * You will be prompted for your password. Type it, then hit enter. Note that as you type your password, the screen won't change (no *s will appear). This is normal; the computer is still registering your typing. text/html 2010-02-01T19:26:49+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/using_dbc?rev=1265052409&do=diff Using the script /usr/local/sbin/dbc Dropbox check script Description This script is used to look at information from file names created by the submit script used by the digital drop box. It assumes English month names (January, February, etc.) and cannot deal with spaces. It prints out the encrypted information in a readable format. text/html 2023-01-26T15:53:22+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/logging_out_of_a_desktop_or_remote_desktop?rev=1674748402&do=diff Logging out of the Computer Science Computers Leaving files open in editors such as pluma and emacs, or leaving applications running can lead to corrupt files and loss of your work because your files are not local to any computer. Your files are shared from a central server. Therefore, if you leave an application open on one computer and then go to another computer, you have several devices trying to access your files. Applications don’t like this. Firefox, for example, won’t allow you to star… text/html 2015-08-27T14:15:04+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/apps/drjava?rev=1440684904&do=diff DrJava reports No Compiler Available Problem: when staring DrJava the Compiler Options window reports “no compiler available” To fix this you need to set the tools.jar location in the drjava preferences.  Start drjava and follow these steps: ```````````` text/html 2015-08-26T21:23:27+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/apps/jedit?rev=1440624207&do=diff Jedit tip -. End of line codes When using jedit to edit files that will be saved on a remote linux or unix system, you may run into problems if you don't change the code jedit puts at the end of the line to indicate a return. Jedit calles this the ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` text/html 2022-10-28T18:01:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/jetbrains?rev=1666980095&do=diff JetBrains IntelliJ License When you start or launch any JetBrains software installed on a lab, classroom or office computer managed by the Computer Science Department, the computer is configured to look for our local, JetBrains license server to request a license for that software. text/html 2009-08-13T17:38:49+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/gate_tips?rev=1250185129&do=diff Gate tips Help! I still get GATE 5.0 Beta, not GATE 5.0 When you run gate you should see that you are running GATE Developer 5.0 build 3244. If you are not, then to use the new version you need to do the following 2 steps: * Delete your existing user configuration file, do that with the command: ```````````````````` text/html 2011-05-10T16:58:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/ewc?rev=1305046736&do=diff Export a window to the Projector Please note, the instructor's workstation in room 105 has a resolution of 1280×1024, the student workstations have screen resolutions of 14450×900. Please resize any window you want to export to fit on the display where you are exporting it. ```````````````````````````````````````````````` text/html 2020-07-04T21:04:42+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/x2go?rev=1593896682&do=diff X2Go -- Remote Desktop Access About X2Go is a program that lets you use your account's desktop remotely. Imagine that you want to do work using DrRacket (or DrScheme, Netbeans, etc.) from your home computer but don't want to deal with the fuss of copying your work onto your CS account afterwards. text/html 2017-02-20T19:44:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/drschemonmac?rev=1487619881&do=diff Getting Dr. Scheme to run on Mac * playonmac (www.playonmac.com) Install this program and then install the windows version of dr scheme. * x2go (<https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/x2go>) Install x2go on your macbook and then connect to the virtual desktop. One advantage here is that you don't have to copy files that you create, that is, they will be in your $HOME directory the next time you log into one of the linux machines in SP309 or the Asprey lab in SP. text/html 2023-02-14T20:09:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/forwarding_x11?rev=1676405365&do=diff Forward X11 Very few systems here are configured to forward X11 via SSH. And this will generally be reserved for request by the faculty and not for classroom computers. If you require a GUI environment then you are strongly encouraged to use the Guacamole server by logging in at text/html 2022-08-31T12:49:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/sshkeysmswindows?rev=1661950198&do=diff SSH Keys on Microsoft Windows using the PuTTY Utility SSH keys are what you will use to establish an encrypted connection over the network, e.g. the internet, between your system and a remote machine. The default type of key to generate is RSA which is good for most purposes. RSA is universally supported among SSH clients. Note that EdDSA performs much faster and provides the same level of security with significantly smaller keys. In general, though, for what you need to do, RSA encryption is … text/html 2016-05-18T15:53:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/general_linux/info?rev=1463586832&do=diff Bash Shell Resources a few articles and tutorials on the web for learning the bash shell * <http://www.arachnoid.com/linux/shell_programming.html> * <http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO.html> * <http://www.panix.com/~elflord/unix/bash-tute.html> * <http://www.codecoffee.com/tipsforlinux/articles2/043.html> * <http://www.cyberciti.biz/nixcraft/linux/docs/uniqlinuxfeatures/lsst/> System Info - User Help ---------- Help for New Users Unix information and help Examples for … text/html 2011-05-05T19:17:27+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.cs.vassar.edu/help/sysnews/inhouse/using_the_pickup_script?rev=1304623047&do=diff Using the pickup script with your course What it is The pickup script is a companion to the submit script. Pickup allows you to place files for pickup in your course directories such that those files cannot be read by your students until they run this script. At that time an entry is logged showing the date, time, user and directory that was picked up. If your students attempt to kill the script (say, after it copies the files and before it logs that it has) that attempt will also be logged…