HPC/FAQ

"I cannot log in" or "My password does not work"

Check host names

Make sure you connect to the correct host names, namely mega.cnm.anl.gov for the SSH gateway and clogin.cnm.anl.gov when onsite. Do not use "carbon".

Check requirements

• Users who are not US citizens require a current visa for access. On expiration of previous registration items, your Argonne login will be disabled, possibly in the middle of a proposal lifetime, and you may suddenly find that you can no longer access mega. Review and renew your details at https://beam.aps.anl.gov/pls/apsweb/ufr_main_pkg.usr_start_page .
• Access to mega requires an active proposal. Access will be disabled approximately 6 weeks after your last active proposal expired. Proposal times are announced to the principal investigator (PI) in emails containing the words "Work Approval Received" or "Proposal Expiration" in the subject. To identify your proposal times, as your PI to search his or her email archive for mails with these words in the subject.

Note that it may take about 1–3 hours for a new proposal to be recognized as active again on mega.

Verify your password

Visit https://credentials.anl.gov/ and verify that your username and password are correct.

Request a password reset

• To have your password reset, email the CNM User Office, at [email protected].
• When you connect to mega with still your temporary password in place, mega will ask for a new password. You can safely change your password at this point.
• You can also change your password at https://credentials.anl.gov/ - However, a change there will take a few hours to become active on mega.

Review instructions

• Read again HPC/Network Access, and follow the instructions for your platform.

Request help for general network or connectivity issues

Contact the NST IT help desk at [email protected] .

Be as specific as possible – include the following in your request:

• The exact error message you get. Copy & Paste the message text, or take a screenshot and attach it to your mail.
• The command you are trying to run or the menu item you choose.
• The hostname you're trying to reach, if it's not evident from the command above.
• The username you use to connect - ditto.
• The software name and version you use to connect (e.g. SSH, VNC, or a browser).
• Your operating system and version.

Note to the User Office: Text in this color needs to be communicated to users by email because this wiki requires a password to read.

"I'd like to use program X"

Check if the application is already available on Carbon

Either:

• Browse the Application Catalog, or
• View the catalog on the Carbon command line:

module avail
module -l avail 2>&1 | less

The second form gives you browsable output.

If you cannot find the application

1. Describe the problem you are trying to solve – it may well be that we can suggest an alternative solution.
2. Provide one or more URLs relevant to software you have in mind – be specific.

"How do I run program X?"

• Customize your shell environment to load the application module.
• Learn about module conventions on Carbon.
• To determine the names of a package's executable scripts and binaries, inspect its $NAME_HOME/bin directory.

"How do I use program X?"

Read the package's documentation, using one or more of the following:

• Inspect the package's $NAME_HOME/share or $NAME_HOME/doc directory on Carbon, see module conventions.
• Browse the package's web page, generally mentioned in the module help text or the application catalog entry.
• Consult a package's man pages. Few packages have them. Man page files are generally installed under $NAME_HOME/man or $NAME_HOME/share/man and if so, will be made available automatically to the man command.

To report a general problem

Send mail to [email protected].

• Choose an appropriate subject line. <-- Do not merely reply to a previous unrelated message about your account or proposal. -->
• Copy and paste relevant error messages (do not paraphrase).
• To help diagnose your problem, read How to Report Bugs Effectively, by Simon Tatham, programmer.

When you get our response:

• Carefully read it.
• Follow all instructions. Do not skip steps.
• Answer all questions. Do not ignore questions.
• For account- and password-related issues, it may take several hours for changes to take effect. If your initial attempt fails, wait at least that long before retrying.

For deeper reading, consider the following:

• How To Ask Questions The Smart Way, by Eric S. Raymond, open source pioneer.