Linux at GSI

Contact

• The Linux group announces operational issues on https://www.gsi.de/it-status
  • Important issues are also communicated via the GSI-LINUX-ALL mailing list!
  • All owners of a LinuxAccount are automatically subscribed to that list.

• Users of the HPC Cluster Systems (e.g. batch nodes and mass storage) are recommended to subscribe to the mailing list HPC-INFO ( subscribe/ sign off)

• If you have questions concerning user accounts eg. resetting passwords please contact the IT Service Desk (☎ 2515).

Reporting Issues

Beforehand you may want to browse TipsTricks and FrequentlyAskedQuestions, as well as read the "how to" documentation further down.

Also check http://gsi.de/it-status for IT incident announcements.

In case of operational issues open a trouble ticket by sending a mail to linux-service@gsi.de.

Trouble-tickets should contain the following information:

1. Your Linux user account name.
2. The hostname of the computer you are using.
3. The error message you receive.
4. Possibly the command-line your are executing in a shell.

Services

• Central login nodes lx-pool.gsi.de
• Linux desktops
• User web pages and virtual web servers
• Wikis
• Discussion fora -- Discuss your work with collaborators

• Cluster Computing
• Lustre file system
• CVMFS - Large scale software distribution

Documentation

• People new to the Linux services in GSI should start by reading FirstSteps resp. Erste Schritte mit Linux
• Access to the HPC infrastructure using interactive machines (see table Interactive Machines) is explained in
  • Access the LinuxFarm from remote (SSH, VNC, X2go, X-Win32)
  • SSH Usage.

• FileSystems -- Where to find home-directories of other users, application software, simulation and analysis data? (LustreFs, CVMFS)
• MachineTypes -- What is the meaning of these lx... names anyway?
• Tips'n'tricks -- How to tweak your KDE, XFCE, ssh, Mozilla and relatives, keyboard. How to work with MS office documents, audio, video and graphics data
• HowTo...
• Index of all Topics

• Data on Tape
  • Query + Retrieve old Gstore Data
  • Gstore Archives as of 2018-01

Software

We are running Debian GNU/Linux, primarily Debian 11 "Bullseye" and Debian 12 "Bookworm" at the moment. For further information on our road-map take a look at the ReleasePlan. Refer to the list of Debian books for a general overview.

• TrixieUpgrade - Changes in Debian 13 "Trixie"
• BookwormUpgrade - Changes in Debian 12 "Bookworm"
• BullseyeUpgrade - Changes in Debian 11 "Bullseye"
• BusterUpgrade - Changes in Debian 10 Buster
• StretchUpgrade - Changes in Debian 9 Stretch
• JessieUpgrade - Changes in Debian 8 Jessie
• WheezyUpgrade - Changes in Debian 7 Wheezy

• Software Policy - How software is distributed at GSI.
• Install Python module as normal user or use Virtual Environments

Howto...

• Change my UNIX/Linux password
• Print a document
• Receive and send mails (+Exchange calendar)
• Decrease the risk of getting hacked
• Access my home-directory from other platforms with Samba
• Use extended file permissions (ACLs) (German only)
• Restore my files from the backup with TSM
• Use the version control system Git
• Use OpenSSL-commands

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