Sage
Besides being something reminescent of Scarborough Fair,
Sage is also a free
open-source mathematics software system, licensed under the GPL, that combines
the power of many existing open-source packages into a common Python-based
interface. We managed to install version 4.4.2 version in our software servers.
To start it, just type
sage. This package can be used either on the command
line or as a notebook in a Web server. We recommend taking the
Sage
Feature Tour before using it.
Chat with us for swift response to computer problems
Often, solving a computer
problem or answering some doubts requires some interaction between the user
and the helpdesk staff. This is typically carried out either by email, or
by phone. Each way has its own drawbacks: email becomes cumbersome and slow
when a rapid exchange of information is required; by phone it's quite complicated
to convey error messages or complex commands to be typed. Perhaps the best
solution in this cases is to chat, using one of the many applications available.
We would like to offer chatting in a experimental way, and you are welcomed
to try it out. We recommend GoogleChat, as it works right out of the browser
and no installation of anything is required (but you need of course a Google
account).
SSH automatic login (no password prompt)
Sometimes we need to login remotely in another machine (for instance we have
a computer account in some Research Center we are collaborating with), or in
a same machine but with a different username (as we do for our administrative
tasks: installing new software packages, developing Web pages, managing Condor,
etc.). If one does this often, having to type the password every time soon
becomes a nuisance. Luckily, there is an easy yet secure way to do a "passwordless" remote
connection, at least in Linux. Simple and clear instructions can be found at
SSH Automatic
Login.
Condor/Diodo/LaPalma Hall of Fame
Tradition dictates that it is now time to publish the usage statistics of the
Supercomputing resources at the IAC for the first semester of 2010. In total,
914353.9 CPU hours were delivered during this period. By resource, Condor delivered
440990 CPU hours, LaPalma 282620 and Diodo 190743.90. Full details of the breakdown
by users can be found at the SIE Forum for
Condor,
LaPalma and
Diodo.
If you want a piece of this pie and don't know how to start, just let us know.