Computers
From Robolab
Contents |
Using the Workstation Computers
Accessing the Web Outside UNSW
The computers cannot access the Internet outside UNSW.
You can, however, use your CSE account (and IP quota) to use the vpn by typing 'sudo vpn'. Login with your CSE id as '<cse username>.setdefaultroute' and your CSE password. This command will not return. Do not close the window that you started this in, or you will not be able to disconnect and others using the machine will eat your CSE IP quota. To disconnect, press ctrl-c.
You can set your proxies using a proxy auto-configuration file at http://jayen.web.cse.unsw.edu.au/proxy.pac
Changing Your Password
For staff/select research students
Due to limitations in the NIS password database implementation, you can only change your password on the Robolab server. To do so, log in to any workstation, open a terminal window, then type:
ssh robolab passwd logout
For coursework students
run 'kpasswd' or visit https://idm.unsw.edu.au/idm/user/login.jsp
Your Home Directory
Your home directory on the desktops is a shared home directory, and the same as the one on the server (robolab). Your home directory on the robots is isolated and not shared. Your shared home directory can be accessed from the robots as /import/robolab/home/<cse_id> or /robolabhome/<cse_id> (depending on the robot).
Data stored on the Robolab server (including your home directory) is backed up each morning. However, you should not rely on this: you are responsible for backing up your own data! You can use the rsync utility to do this efficiently; read the manual page for more information. There is also an insync script in /usr/local/bin that wraps rsync with somewhat easier-to-remember command line options.
NB: Data stored on the Pioneer robots is not backed up at all. You should use rsync to make sure appropriate directories on the robots are the same as those on Robolab. A typical invocation (run on a workstation computer) might be:
rsync -vauSHz --delete /home/group01/pioneer-files/ bass:/home/group01/pioneer-files/
This would synchronise files and directories in /home/group01/pioneer-files on the local machine and the Pioneer robot bass. Remember the trailing slashes on directory names!
Machine Names and Locations
The Robotics Laboratory in Room 301, Building K17, has the following workstation computers available for use:
- c3p0 (desk 01)
- cylon (southern wall)
- hal (southern wall)
- johnny5 (desk 16)
- k9 (southern wall)
- kitt (southern wall)
- martin (southern wall)
- optimus (desk 02)
- panshin (desk 14)
- r2d2 (southern wall)
- robbie (southern wall)
- roomba (southern wall)
- smith (southern wall)
- t1000 (southern wall)
- wopr (desk 17)
If needed, future machines will be called gort, t800, ed209, thx1138, sonny, vincent, hector, vectrocon, max404, preston, rodney, twiki, daryl. In case you have not figured it out yet, all our workstation computers are named after robots in movies. :-)
Configuration
Each of the workstation machines is configured identically, with the following specifications:
Processor: Intel Pentium D 3.00GHz Memory: 2GB Hard drive: 80GB (for system files, /tmp and /var/tmp) Video card: ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600] Operating system: debian 5.0 (lenny) with Gnome, KDE, twm, and xmonad
Note that the /home and /data directories are stored on the Robolab server itself. There are no quotas currently being enforced, but please do not abuse this! /tmp and /var/tmp use the local hard drive; /tmp is automatically wiped at reboot and at other times.
Accounts
You need to have an account created on the Robolab server before you can log in to any of the workstation machines. Undergraduate students log in with their zPass; postgraduate students and staff have accounts named the same as their CSE login.
Desktop Environment
You can select either the KDE, Gnome, twm, or xmonad desktop environments/window managers from the graphical login screen: click on Options in the bottom left-hand corner, then Select Session. The default is Gnome.
Installed Software
All workstation machines are running debian operating system. Many major packages have been installed, including:
- Player/Stage 3.0.2/4.0.1
- OpenCV 2.1
- Eclipse 3.2.2
- Sun Java 6 Update 20
If you need software that is not currently installed and is available in debian, please contact Jayen. You can also install software into your $HOME directory by compiling it from source.
