Computing at the Mathematics Department
Zeta.math.utsa.edu is hosted on a Dell PowerEdge 6950 with four dual-core Opteron 8218 processors, 8 GB of RAM and 1.2 TB hard disk storage in a RAID 1 configuration. It runs Red Hat Linux.
User Accounts
Undergraduate or graduate mathematics students can request an account
on Zeta. Just send your request to Drs. Eduardo Dueñez or Dmitry Gokhman. Include your
full name and your My.UTSA ID (three letters and three digits, e.g.,
abc123).
Accessing Zeta
Zeta can be accessed remotely using the SSH or NX protocols. Secure file transfer SFTP connections are also possible. You will need a computer connected to the Internet with the correct client software. (Note: All other protocols are disabled, including telnet, FTP, XDMCP, etc.)
Graphical (XWindows) sessions can be tunneled via SSH, so it is possible to run graphical applications on Zeta from a remote terminal (xterm). Of course you need to have the XWindows client software installed and properly configured on the computer from which you are connect to Zeta. Note: Do not confuse the Microsoft (MS) Windows operating system with the XWindows Unix graphics protocol. MS Windows' graphical protocols are proprietary and incompatible with those of XWindows, so MS Windows computers need additional software (an XWindows client) to run graphical applications on Zeta. In this sense, NX is a type of XWindows client.
On-campus note: All UTSA public (Windows) computers have the SSH Secure Shell program pre-installed. This enables text-based SSH sessions as well as SFTP file transfers. Unfortunately (as of 21 April 2009), public on-campus computers have neither XWindows nor NX client software installed, so graphical (XWindows-based) applications on Zeta cannot be run from those computers.
NX Access
NX connections to Zeta are accepted at
port 1209, via SSH tunneling. They are not
accepted at the default SSH port 22.
Note: NX provides the most convenient remote access to Zeta, specially from an MS Windows computer.
A broadband (DSL or better) connection is recommended.
Connection Settings
- Server:
zeta.math.utsa.edu - User name: Your My.UTSA ID (three letters and three digits,
e.g.,
abc123). - Password: The password associated with your user name (your My.UTSA password.)
- Connection port: 1209. This is very important!
Software Requirements
- NoMachine's NX client. Available for MS Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Solaris.
SSH and SFTP Access
Secure shell (SSH) connections to Zeta are accepted at port 1209, and not at the default SSH port 22. Secure SFTP file transfers are also (only) allowed at port 1209.
Connection Settings
- Server:
zeta.math.utsa.edu - User name: Your My.UTSA ID (three letters and three digits,
e.g.,
abc123). - Password: The password associated with your user name (your My.UTSA password).
- Connection port: 1209. This is very important!
Software Recommendations
- Multi-Platform:
- FileZilla SFTP client.
- Windows:
Public on-campus computers have the SSH
Secure Shell application for SSH connections and SFTP file
transfers.
To connect from your own MS Windows computer you will
first need to install SSH and/or SFTP client programs. Some
alternatives follow:
- The Xming X Server allows XWindows graphical sessions to be tunneled via the PuTTY SSH client. (Note: PuTTY also ships with PSCP and PSFTP (secure copy and SFTP clients).)
- WinSCP SFTP client.
- The Cygwin environment is a large collection of Unix programs ported to MS Windows. These programs include OpenSSH and XWindows: Cygwin/X. In general, Cygwin is highly recommended as a convenient way to make MS Windows more "Unix-like". Note: If you decide to install Cygwin, make sure that you choose "Unix-style line endings for text files" in the very last step of the installation —otherwise Cygwin's XWindows client won't work.
- Mac OS X:
- Mac OS X ships with OpenSSH
software. From a terminal (Terminal.app or iTerm) launch an SSH session
on Zeta by issuing the command
ssh -p 1209 abc123@zeta.math.utsa.edu(return)
(where abc123 is your My.UTSA ID). You will be prompted for your password: Enter it followed by (return).
You can open a text-based SFTP session replacingsftpforsshon the above command line. - Cyberduck is a nice graphical SFTP program.
- It is strongly
encouraged that you install X11 in order to be able to launch
XWindows applications on Zeta. This can
be done using the Mac OS DVD media (it seems X11.app is not available for
download). When launched, X11.app opens an "
xterm" terminal from which an SSH session can be started with the command
ssh -X -p 1209 abc123@zeta.math.utsa.edu(return)
as above. Note the "-X" part! (TheXis a capital.) That is what enables launching graphical applications on Zeta right from your terminal.
- Mac OS X ships with OpenSSH
software. From a terminal (Terminal.app or iTerm) launch an SSH session
on Zeta by issuing the command
- Other Unix-based Operating Systems (Linux, BSD,
Solaris, …):
These systems usually ship with OpenSSH preinstalled. They may also provide graphical front ends to SFTP.
From within XWindows in an xterm, use the syntax
ssh -X -p 1209 abc123@zeta.math.utsa.edu
to ensure that XWindows port forwarding is activated and graphical applications can be launched.
Software
Zeta has a decent selection of mathematics (and other) software, including:
- The GNU Compiler Collection (gcc): C, C++ and more.
- GNU Fortran (g77).
- TeX and LaTeX, along with a healthy dose of ancillary packages.
- LaTeX-friendly editors: Emacs (with AucTeX), Kile, and even vi.
- The LyX What-You-See-Is-What-You-Mean graphical editor based on LaTeX.
- The GNU TeXmacs mathematics editor and front end to computational math packages.
- The Geomview 3D interactive visualization program.
- SAGE (Software for Algebra and Geometry Exploration), which among many other things bundles together GAP, Maxima and PARI/GP.
- GNU Octave.
- The PARI/GP number theory calculator (standalone version).
- Maple 10.
Troubleshooting Authentication Problems
The most common source of authentication problems (inability to log in with your credentials: My.UTSA ID plus password) is an expired or invalid password. For technical reasons you may need to reset your password following UTSA OIT's instructions available at UTSA's Identity Manager (IDM) page.
It is specially important to choose a password satisfying all of IDM's requirements or you will be unable to log on to Zeta.
Support
Technical support is provided by UTSA's Unix Team through the Help Desk. The recommended way to request support is by e-mail to helpdesk@utsa.edu with the following subject line: "Unix Team Request re: Zeta.math.utsa.edu".
Informal basic help is provided by Drs. Eduardo Dueñez and Dmitry Gokhman. Feel free to drop us a line or stop by our respective offices (SB 4.01.60/4.02.16) if you're desperate or lost enough...
