= Group Linux Server (msg.ecn.purdue.edu) =

Prof. Yu's research group at Purdue also has access to a dedicated Linux server with our group specific name: `msg.ecn.purdue.edu`.

You can use this server just like any other ECN server and you can access all the ECN supported software such as Abaqus, Ansys, Mathematica, etc. There are some useful tips about how to use ECN server at https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/Support/KB.

Note the default directory after you login is your ECN home directory, but your home directory in our server is `/export/home/a/username` or `/home/msg/a/username`. 

== Remote to the Server ==

=== From Windows ===

You can access to this server the same way as you access any Purdue ECN linux servers using !PuTTY or other software using your Purdue career account name and password.

Tools needed:

 * Network: Purdue VPN (Required if off campus network)
 * SSH Client: !PuTTY or !SecureCRT (Required)
 * X Windows: XMing or Cygwin (Required if GUI is needed)

More detailed instructions can be found at:

 * [https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/Support/KB/Docs/UsingLinuxComputeReso ECN Using Linux Compute Resources]
 * [https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/Support/KB/Docs/RunningXApplications ECN Running X Applications via SSH and XMing or Cygwin in Windows]

== System Configuration ==

To run !SwiftComp and VABSIII, you need to add the following line into your startup script. For my account, my startup script is `~/.bash_profile`.  

For the bash shell:
{{{
export PATH=/home/msg/a/MSGCodes:$PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/intel/16.0.3/lib/intel64:/opt/gcc/7.1.0/lib64:/opt/gcc/7.1.0/lib:/home/roger/a/wenbinyu/src:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:. 
export SG_LICENSE_FILE=29750@arms2142pc2
}}}

For the csh or tcsh shell:
{{{
setenv PATH /home/msg/a/MSGCodes:$PATH
setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /opt/intel/16.0.3/lib/intel64:/opt/gcc/7.1.0/lib64:/opt/gcc/7.1.0/lib:/home/roger/a/wenbinyu/src:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:.
setenv SG_LICENSE_FILE 29750@arms2142pc2
}}}

For the purpose of typing convenience, alias can be set for commands, for instance:
{{{
alias vabs='VABSIII'
alias swiftcomp='SwiftComp'
}}}

== Useful Tips ==

=== Multiple remote windows ===

By default, if you start a program with GUI from the shell using the command like `emacs [options]`, you will lose the focus in the shell and cannot do anything more there.

To fix this, or if you want to open multiple programs remotely, append the character `&` to the command. For instance `emacs ~/.bash_profile &`.

=== Other resources ===

 * [https://www.tutorialspoint.com/unix/index.htm UNIX / LINUX Tutorial]
 * [https://cheatography.com/davechild/cheat-sheets/linux-command-line/ Linux Command Line Cheat Sheet]