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Welcome

Hey! As students at A&M, we're given access to the central "Compute" service (hosted at compute.cs.tamu.edu). This site will help you set up a connection and your environment.

Overarching Steps

  1. Connect to TAMU VPN (connect.tamu.edu) if you're not connected to campus wifi.
    • Skip this step if you're on campus (connected to TAMU wifi)
    • MacOS & Linux: Download Cisco AnyConnect or openconnect
    • Windows: Download Cisco Anyconnect
  2. SSH into compute through some terminal program
    • MacOS & Linux: native Terminal Program or PuTTY
    • Windows: PuTTY or PowerShell (yuck)
  3. Set up a workflow (my set up is below).
  4. Get coding ;)

Windows Users

  1. Go to https://connect.tamu.edu.
  2. Log in with NetID & password.
  3. Install the "Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client" for Windows.

1.5) Connecting to TAMU VPN - only for off-campus users

  1. Open Cisco Anyconnect.
  2. In the prompt, type in connect.tamu.edu and press Connect.
  3. Type in username (NetID) and password.
  4. Approve sign in with Duo Authentication.

2) SSH into Compute

=================================================
                PuTTY Configuration
=================================================
Host Name (or IP address) --> compute.cs.tamu.edu
Port                      --> 22
Connection Type           --> SSH (default)
Saved Sessions            --> Any name to save yourself time
  1. Open PuTTY
  2. Use the configuration on the right to connect.
  3. Press Open to test connection with TAMU Compute Servers.
    • Tip: To save yourself time, type something into Saved Sessions and press Save
  4. An alert box will pop up for first time connections. Press "Yes" to trust the Compute servers.
  5. Type in your username / NetID
  6. Type in your password.
  7. Done deal.

MacOS Users

  1. Go to https://connect.tamu.edu.
  2. Log in with NetID & password.
  3. Install the "Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client" for MacOS.

1.5) Connecting to TAMU VPN

  1. Skip this step if you're on campus (connected to TAMU wifi)
  2. Open Cisco Anyconnect.
  3. In the prompt, type in connect.tamu.edu and press Connect.
  4. Type in username (NetID) and password.
  5. Approve sign in with Duo Authentication.

2) SSH into Compute

  1. Open up your terminal app Command + Space > "Terminal"

  2. Enter the command ssh and you should get the output you see on the right.

MacOS_user $ ssh # run "ssh" in the terminal
usage: ssh [-46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy] [-b bind_address] [-c cipher_spec]
           [-D [bind_address:]port] [-E log_file] [-e escape_char]
           [-F configfile] [-I pkcs11] [-i identity_file]
           [-J [user@]host[:port]] [-L address] [-l login_name] [-m mac_spec]
           [-O ctl_cmd] [-o option] [-p port] [-Q query_option] [-R address]
           [-S ctl_path] [-W host:port] [-w local_tun[:remote_tun]]
           [user@]hostname [command]
  1. Copy the command below. Be sure to replace the MY_USERNAME with the handle that you use to login to A&M services. Note, this is not your UIN.
$ ssh MY_USERNAME@compute.cs.tamu.edu
# "compute.cse.tamu.edu" does the same

The authenticity of host 'blah.blah.blah (10.10.10.10)' can't be established.
RSA key fingerprint is a4:d9:a4:d9:a4:d9a4:d9:a4:d9a4:d9a4:d9a4:d9a4:d9a4:d9.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Development Setup

Windows

Install the following:

MacOS

Install the following: - VS Code - VS Code Extension - SSH File System - Cisco Anyconnect (link above) - or install "openconnect" for terminal (macOS or Linux flavors)

Setting up SSH FS

  1. Either use on-campus wifi or connect to the vpn.

Cisco Openconnect in the terminal:

$ sudo openconnect connect.tamu.edu

enter username, password, duo authentication, etc.
...
POST https://connect.tamu.edu/
Got CONNECT response: HTTP/1.1 200 OK
  1. Ctrl+Shift+P in VSCode > ">SSH FS: Create a SSH FS configuration"
  2. Name it and press save.
  3. Now fill out the following fields on the right:
Hostname:
compute.cs.tamu.edu
--------------------------------------
Root - uses your username and the first letter of it:
/home/ugrads/w/wanda
/home/ugrads/v/vision
/home/ugrads/n/netID, etc.
--------------------------------------
Username - your netID:
wanda
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Password: either prompt or save it
--------------------------------------
  1. Press save
  2. Click the icon on the left for the extension & press the "folder +" sign to add to workspace
  3. It will prompt for your password and then connect.
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