Computing Guides and Training

This page provides a list of resources that may be useful in learning some of the general concepts and skills that you may need in your computational work.

Linux

Linux is an operating system that is used by most of the computing clusters used in scientific research. To use any of the clusters in the department and most clusters elsewhere you will need to know the basics of Linux, and in particular how to use the command line (the shell) instead of a graphical user interface (GUI) to interact with the system.

A good starting point is the Unix Shell lesson designed by Software Carpentry. This is designed to be taught as part of a Software Carpentry workshop. These are run several times by ARC: see the ARC training web page. There is also a self-paced Moodle course available: ARC - Introducing the Unix Shell.

SSH

SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol (way of communicating) and associated software package that enables you to interact with a computer system without being physically in front of it. You will need to use this mechanism to connect (log in) to a Linux computer or cluster: it creates a connection between the local machine (the one in front of you) and the remote one, sends the input you type and displays the output you get back.

A detailed guide is available on the SSH Academy web site.