The Physics Department has a cluster of Linux computers to support our research and educational goals. Students are welcome to have an account on these computer and can obtain one by asking.

Several useful tools are available on these computers:

The Linux computers have access to a 1.2 terabyte RAID array for storage of data. Files on the Linux computers can also be accessed from Windows computers within Hugel Science Center.

Access to the Linux cluster is available via secure shell (ssh) from any computer on campus. Please ask if you want to access these computers from off-campus and that can be arranged.

Configuration

Some software needs configuration before it can be operated. These commands can usually be put into a .login or a .profile file so they are automatically executed when you log in.

IDL

In order to use IDL you will have to execute the following commands:

In bourne-like shells:

. /software/itt/idl/bin/idl_setup.bash
IDL_PATH=+/software/itt/idlastro:<IDL_DEFAULT>
LM_LICENSE_FILE=1700@kepler.phys.lafayette.edu
export IDL_PATH LM_LICENSE_FILE

In csh-like shells:

source /software/itt/idl/bin/idl_setup
setenv IDL_PATH +/software/itt/idlastro:<IDL_DEFAULT>
setenv LM_LICENSE_FILE 1700@kepler.phys.lafayette.edu

FTOOLS and Xanadu

To have access to these software packages, you will have to execute the following commands.

In bourne-like shells:

HEADAS=/software/headas/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
export HEADAS
. $HEADAS/headas-init.sh

In csh-like shells:

setenv HEADAS /software/headas/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
source $HEADAS/headas-init.csh