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This guide details how to connect to batch via SSH from a windows or mac machine. batch is only accessible from within the University at Albany network. To connect from an external network, you must use the VPN. Please read more at the Remote Access page.

To spawn a terminal session, you can use PuTTY or X2Go on Windows, to spawn a Desktop session you can use X2Go on Windows. On mac, you can use your terminal with XQuartz for X11 Forwarding and a terminal session, or X2Go to spawn a desktop session. More details below. 


 Windows

Windows

Several options are available for connecting to research systems from a windows computer. This documentation will focus on PuTTY and X2Go along with VcXsrv for X11 forwarding. 

 VcXsrv

VcXsrv

X11 is a communication protocol for "forwarding" graphics from one machine to another. In order to display graphics or run programs interactively with PuTTY, VcXsrv must be running as well. To start using VcXsrv

  1. Download and install VcXsrv
  2. From the start menu, search for XLaunch
  3. Select the configuration options that you would like, here we use "Multiple windows", "Start no client", and the default "Extra settings" parameters
  4. After clicking finish, you will see the XLaunch logo in the Task bar (note that you may have to expand it)

  5. Now, you are all set for PuTTY with X11 fowarding



 PuTTY

PuTTY

PuTTY is an SSH and telnet client, developed originally by Simon Tatham for the Windows platform. PuTTY is open source software that is available with source code and is developed and supported by a group of volunteers. It can be downloaded here and is commonly used alongside VcXsrv for X11 Forwarding.

Note that while connected via SSH and PuTTY, if your internet connection is interrupted, all running code will be exited. To avoid this, we recommend using Screen or Tmux to "detatch" terminal sessions. For more information, please see How-to: Using screen or tmux to preserve a Linux terminal session
  1. Download and install PuTTY (https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html)
  2. Make sure you have XLaunch running (see above)
  3. Find PuTTY in the start menu, and start the application
  4. For host name, you make connect to a number of resources (e.g., head.arcc.albany, headnode7.arcc.albany.edu, lmm.rit.albany.edu), here we will connect to the headnode head.arcc.albany.edu
    1. Enter head.arcc.albany.edu and port 22 as shown below
    2. Next click on Connection -> Data and enter your netid in the "Auto-login username" field
    3. Next click on Connection -> SSH -> X11  on the left side, and check "Enable X11 forwarding", this will allow graphics to forward to your screen
    4. Finally, go back to "Session" and enter a session name and hit "Save". This will store these properties so that you can use them again by selecting the session and clicking "Load".
  5. Finally, click open on the bottom right and click Yes when prompted by the PuTTY Security Alert
  6. Enter your password when prompted. You will not see your password appear on the screen, but it is being typed!
  7. When successfully connected, you will see a terminal display something that looks similar to
  8. Now you are all set! To test if X Forwarding is working correctly,enter in the command line: xeyes and you should see the following window pop up
  9. If you are having trouble, please contact askIT@albany.edu
 Ubuntu on Windows 10+

Windows Subsystem for Linux

On windows 10, you can run Ubuntu natively. Follow the tutorial from Microsoft here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10

SSH to head.arcc.albany.edu

Just as you would on a regular linux terminal, you can SSH directly to head.arcc.albany.edu


 Mac

macOS


 XQuartz

X11 is a communication protocol for "forwarding" graphics from one machine to another. In order to display graphics or run programs interactively with the Terminal, XQuartz must be installed. To download and install XQuartz, please click here

 Terminal

To SSH to any of our resources (e.g., head.arcc.albany, headnode7.arcc.albany.edu, lmm.rit.albany.edu), you can use the terminal in Mac. Here, we will connect to head.arcc.albany.edu.

  1. Start a terminal session, you can find the Terminal by using the search features in the upper right corner
  2. If you have installed XQuartz, X11 forwarding is enabled with the -Y option. Enter into the terminal ssh -Y [netid]@head.arcc.albany.edu as shown below
  3. Enter your password when prompted. You will not see your password appear on the screen, but it is being typed!
  4. Type y when prompted by the security alert
  5. When successfully connected, you will see the terminal display something that looks similar to
  6. Now you are all set! To test if X Forwarding is working correctly,enter in the command line: xeyes and you should see the following window pop up
  7. If you are having trouble, please contact askIT@albany.edu
 X2Go

X2Go

X2Go has several advantages over the standard PuTTY terminal connection.

  1. X2Go can "persist" a session providing similar functionality to tmux or screen
  2. X2Go has native X11 Forwarding capability, so there is no need to install VcXsrv or Tmux. 
  3. X2Go can spawn a linux desktop in it's self-contained application

X2Go is supported on both Windows and Mac. The following documentation is applicable to both. 


 Spawn a Desktop Session

Spawn a Desktop Session

X2Go can spawn a MATE Linux desktop, follow the instructions to do so.

  1. Download and install X2Go, then open the application. Dialog to create a new session should popup, if not, click Session -> New Session from the toolbar
    1. Select a session name, here we use eagle.rit.albany.edu (MATE)
    2. Enter in the Host: field eagle.rit.albany.edu
    3. For the Login: field, enter your netid
    4. For Session type, select MATE
    5. We will use the rest of the default settings in the other tabs but feel free to adjust for your needs. Finally, click okay.
  2. Now, click on the session to connect, and enter your password when prompted. If a notice pops up, click accept.
  3. Finally, a window will pop-up showing a Linux Desktop, you're all set!
 Spawn a Terminal Session

Spawn a Terminal Session

X2Go can spawn an xterm Linux terminal, follow the instructions to do so.

  1. If you have already created a session, click Session -> New Session from the toolbar. Here, we will name the session eagle.rit.albany.edu (xterm)
    1. Select a session name, here we use eagle.rit.albany.edu
    2. Enter in the Host: field eagle.rit.albany.edu
    3. For the Login: field, enter your netid
    4. For Session type, select Single Application, then enter in the Command: field, /usr/bin/xterm
    5. We will use the rest of the default settings in the other tabs but feel free to adjust for your needs. Finally, click okay.
  2. Click on the appropriate session to start the log on, and enter your password when prompted and hit Ok
  3. A terminal session will pop up, and you are all set!

Note, to continue xforwarding while SSH to other hosts while using X2Go (i.e. head.arcc.albany.edu), you must use the -X flag. For example, ssh -X head.arcc.albany.edu