We are no longer using Wordpress as it was causing system stability issues, and was severely out of date. Comments are no longer available as this is a static html page. A new CS website is under development, please check back soon for more updates.
Your personal CS accounts can now be renewed for the coming semester by going here: mgt.cs.mtsu.edu/aru
Just click on the renewal link near the bottom of the box of information on your account.
The Computer Science Department is offering a tutoring lab in KOM 361-C for 1170, 2170, and 3110 students.
Hours open are:
Monday: 8am - 11:30pm ; 1pm - 5:30pm
Tuesday: 8am - 2pm
Wednesday: 8am - 11:30pm ; 1pm - 5:30pm
Thursday: 8am - 2pm
Friday: 8am - 11:30pm
Greetings! Keep an eye on this page for systems status, helpful hints, and so forth. Please read the other postings for information on various things.
I’d like to first point out that if you can’t log in to your ranger/linux or shemp accounts then you likely need to renew your CS account. (They expire every semester) – You can renew them with just 2 clicks by visiting the Account Management Utility site.
If you need to change your password you may also use the above link.
–Neal
To reset your password go to www.cs.mtsu.edu
On the right side click the CS Account Management link
Enter your Pipeline ID and password
You’ll see a box with your account information in it. On
the left you’ll see [Change Account Password]
Click that and you’ll be prompted for a new password.
There’s more information about accounts in an earlier post below.
For you folks wanting to run NX on your Apple:
The short:
NX and Lion do not agree. Skip the long if you are not
interested. The fix is located below.
The Long:
Should you care? First read here. Next know that although the
NX v4 Beta Client apparently fixed things and the Java applet
on the CS Community Site were working harmoniously – NOW… they
are not. Apparently in some minor changes to the NX framework,
the libraries that we now use are not compatible. For a
plethora of reasons – we are not currently able to change our
current libraries. The short of the long – it’s broken.
The Current Best Practice Fix:
Use x11 forwarding over ssh. “ssh -X username@server.whatever”
will get you what you need. In Lion this is accomplished by
opening a terminal window and entering the above command. An
example would be “ssh -X user@ranger1.cs.mtsu.edu”. A few
things to pay attention to. The X is capitalized and it
matters. You do not need to include the quotes(“). ALWAYS pick
either ranger1.cs.mtsu.edu or ranger2.cs.mtsu.edu – otherwise
you risk crossing RSA keys at which time you are going to need
to learn how to clear your known hosts file here.
Wait! Don’t stop reading yet. You still have to be able to open things. Yes, you are going to have to use to command prompt to do this. For scite, you simply enter “scite&” (without quotes). For NetBeans you enter “NetBeans&” (again, without the quotes). Note: ending the command with the ampersand puts the program you just started into the ‘background’, which really just means that it lets your terminal window come back to a shell prompt. If you need another terminal window open try “xterm&”. If you need to open something else, ask your professor, CS help desk, a Lab Assistant, or a SysAdmin.
Final Solution:
If all else fails, there are two other options. One, use a
Windows PC to do your class work. Should you not
own one, check the lab hours above; we have plenty available
for use. The Business / Aerospace lab on campus is
always open. In there you can launch NX from our web
page and it should work fine. Two, if you are not a
NetBeans user you can learn to use the ‘vi’ (or ‘vim’) editor
instead of scite and then you won’t need to have a GUI running
to do your work. If you are using the NetBeans IDE
that’s not an option, however.
Happy Mac’ing.
-Mac, one of your friendly SysAdmins.
Well…
All of the Mac users are going to have to beware that the NX client will not work as of OS X 10.7 and later until No Machine releases an updated version.
As of 10.7 Apple no longer releases “Rosetta” as a component of the operating system. As a result any program that is written and compiled for PowerPC that has been adapted to work for an Intel based set-up will no longer work. Most programs have been making a steady transition away from the PowerPC architecture but many still remain and the NX client is one of them. Until there is an update all Mac users accessing ranger through the client will either have to use X-forwarding or SSH if they wish to upgrade past Snow Leopard.
(25 JUL 2011) Update: Read here for No Machines press release and an interim solution.
(28 JUL 2011) Update: You can download the Beta NXClient here.
Note: I’m not sure that
the information on password still applies. Will update
when I know more. –neal
Your MSDNAA login is the same as your email account’s fully qualified name.
Example: abc4d@mtmail.mtsu.edu
Your class has been registered in the system and Microsoft should have sent you an email with password information. Sometimes, however, this either is not sent or it gets SPAM filtered. So, to find your password, go to the MSDNAA site:
https://msdn05.e-academy.com/elms/Security/Login.aspx?campus=mtsu_cs
and click the box on the right captioned “Login Help”. The system will email you a new password.
We need students to log off of ranger when using NX rather than just closing the window with the Windows close button (the one with the X in the top right corner).
To logoff click the little green person icon right under the windows close button at the top right of the NX display, then hit the logout button in the dialog box that pops up.
If you are running NX terminal then you need to type ‘exit’ rather than clicking the windows close button.
Please see this PDF guide for instructions on how to NX to ranger:
Link: Using Ranger Via NX (Sept. 8, 2009) – Note: This PDF can not be printed.
There is a troubleshooting section on the last page of the PDF if you are having problems connecting.
Windows
Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Remote
Desktop Connection
In the Computer field enter: shemp.cs.mtsu.edu
When prompted, your username is CSD\YourUsername
Your password will be your standard linux password that you
set on the Account Management Page.
Always log off when you are finished using shemp!
Linux
Run this command: rdesktop shemp.cs.mtsu.edu
When prompted, your username is CSD\YourUsername
Your password will be your standard linux password that you
set on the Account Management Page.
Always log off when you are finished using shemp!
By default, rdesktop may run in a very small almost unusable
window on linux. Use the manual to look up how to configure
the display to your liking.
While you are an active MTSU student you may request a Computer Science account for academic work. A computer science (CS) account gives you access to numerous servers that run both Debian Linux and Microsoft Windows Server operating systems. Once logged in to these systems you will have access to software that is required for CSCI classes you may be enrolled in. In some cases you may need to use a specific platform for projects, but in general we try to keep an up-to-date copy of popular development languages and environments on both Linux and Windows servers.
Our Windows Sever 2008 Terminal Server includes software such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft Office 2007, and Visio 2003.
Each CS account is given storage that is directly accessible from both a linux or windows station. After remote desktoping for the first time to our terminal server you may then access your windows files from under linux: Your windows files will be stored in a subdirectory called ‘windows’ that resides in your linux home directory. To access your linux files from within windows (while on a terminal server) you should browse to \\filestore\YOUR-USERNAME – Please note that file permissions may be confusing when accessing files created from another operating system. If you need any help understanding file permission problems please ask a lab assistant!
How to request your CS account:
On the right hand side of this page under ‘Links’ find the ‘CS Account Management’ link. From there log in using your pipeline account. Once logged in you may hit the ‘request a personal account’ link and fill in the required fields.
Please be patient! Account requests require hand approval. We will REJECT any request that does not have all of the fields filled out. In particular, please be explicit when you see the question asking for a brief reason why you want a CS account. Generally, requests are approved in less than 24 hours. In many cases they are approved within hours or even faster if the request is received in the middle of the work day.
Setting / Resetting Your Account Password:
Once an account request is “approved” then you may log back in to the ‘CS Account Management’ link and click the ‘Reset Password’ link under your new account. (Your new account will show up in a list once approved – Note that class accounts do not need approval and are already set with a password your instructor will provide) From the account management tool’s password reset link simply enter a strong password to have it encrypted and safely stored. You can now log in to our Linux and Windows systems! For the curious: We absolutely never keep any of your passwords stored on disk. Not even for a second! Password transmission between you and the CS Account Management tool is held over the secure https protocol. Authentication of your password is then verified over secure connection.
Class Accounts:
Your professors may assign you class accounts. These accounts may be used to access any of the CS services available, but ultimately you are just as responsible for them as you are for your personal accounts. If you forget your class account password then you may reset it in the exact same manner as previously discussed above. Your class account’s files, emails, and databases will be deleted at the end of each semester. See next section:
Automatic Account Expiration (Deletion):
All student accounts come with an expiration date:
Your expiration date is viewable on the CS Account Management tool! Once this date is reached on an account then the account will become disabled and queued to be automatically purged from the system unless you renew the account prior to the end of the semester.
Renewals: Plainly, class accounts assigned by your teacher can not be renewed. However, personal accounts may be renewed in the last week or two of a semester if you wish to keep it for one more semester. Each “renewal” is good for just one semester and you may continue to renew once per semester until you graduate or are no longer a student. Accounts are only available to active students, faculty, etc.
Expiration: Once the account’s expiration date is eached the account can no longer log in to any CS services using that usernane. This means that if you wish to retain any files from your account you should simply copy them off and make a backup before the expiration date. Things you might want to back up if you have personal attachment to them are: linux files, windows files, mysql databases, and @cs.mtsu.edu email. (Our email is entirely unrelated to any @mtsu.edu – expiration with the CS department does not affect your MTSU pipeline related services)
How to Renew:
In the last week or two of each semester a special (very very obvious) link will appear under each account you have listed in the CS Account Management tool. Clicking on the “very obvious” button/link inside the account management tool will give you instructions on how to renew. In general it is as easy as clicking two buttons and you will be renewed for an additional semester. Remember, you can only renew your personal account at the END of each semester. Class accounts can not be renewed by students ever.
Setting Up Your MySQL Database:
Each class account is given a MySQL database that can be used for academic/class purposes. If you desire to use MySQL then you should log in to the CS Account Management tool and select the link under your account that relates to MySQL configuration. After you have set up your MySQL password then you can connect to it using the following information:
The account management tool’s MySQL configuration provides a way for you to delete (drop) your existing database entirely and start fresh if you desire. (You will lose any data stored in the database).
Note: Each unique CS account is restricted to a single MySQL database. However, each database can hold as many tables as you would like.
If you prefer to use a GUI to work with your database there is a link to the phpMyAdmin tool on the right hand side of this page under the ‘Links’ section. After you set your MySQL password using the CS Account Management tool then you can log in to phpMyAdmin.
While you are an active MTSU student you may request a Computer Science account for academic work. A computer science (CS) account gives you access to numerous servers that run both Debian Linux and Microsoft Windows Server operating systems. Once logged in to these systems you will have access to software that is required for CSCI classes you may be enrolled in. In some cases you may need to use a specific platform for projects, but in general we try to keep an up-to-date copy of popular development languages and environments on both Linux and Windows servers.
Our Windows Sever 2008 Terminal Server includes software such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft Office 2007, and Visio 2003.
Each CS account is given storage that is directly accessible from both a linux or windows station. After remote desktoping for the first time to our terminal server you may then access your windows files from under linux: Your windows files will be stored in a subdirectory called ‘windows’ that resides in your linux home directory. To access your linux files from within windows (while on a terminal server) you should browse to \\filestore\YOUR-USERNAME – Please note that file permissions may be confusing when accessing files created from another operating system. If you need any help understanding file permission problems please ask a lab assistant!
How to request your CS account:
On the right hand side of this page under ‘Links’ find the ‘CS Account Management’ link. From there log in using your pipeline account. Once logged in you may hit the ‘request a personal account’ link and fill in the required fields.
Please be patient! Account requests require hand approval. We will REJECT any request that does not have all of the fields filled out. In particular, please be explicit when you see the question asking for a brief reason why you want a CS account. Generally, requests are approved in less than 24 hours. In many cases they are approved within hours or even faster if the request is received in the middle of the work day.
Setting / Resetting Your Account Password
Initially, accounts are not set up with a password. This was we never store your password on disk. Ever! Once a request is “approved” then you may log back in to the ‘CS Account Management’ link and then hit the ‘Reset Password’ link under your new account. (It will show up in a list once approved) From there just enter a strong password and it will be one-way encrypted and safely stored. For the curious: We absolutely never keep any of your passwords stored on disk. Not even for a second! Password transmission between you and the CS Account Management tool is held over the secure https protocol. Authenticate of your password is then verified over secure connection.
Class Accounts
Your professors may assign you class accounts.