University of
ConnecticutAccounts on the UConn Compute Server
|Overview |Applying |Renewal |Disk Space |CPU Limits |Backups |Passwords |
| Overview |
Accounts on the Compute Server are available to faculty, staff, and graduate students at the University of Connecticut. Faculty may also obtain class accounts, for use in graduate or undergraduate courses.
| Applying for an Account |
There is a general UNIX account application form, which should be used for faculty, graduate, staff, and administrative accounts. There is a second application form for class accounts. Application forms can be obtained in the UITS Help Center Accounts Office.
These forms are also available online. However, they can not be filled out electronically. They must be printed, and then filled out by hand since a signature is required.
- General application form (faculty, graduate student, staff, administrative): http://uitsaccounts.uconn.edu/forms/unix.htm
Application forms can be returned via mail, campus mail, or fax. Applications will not be accepted via e-mail at this time. The Accounts Office can be reached by phone at 486-4357 (select option 3).
If mailing from campus, the address is:
UITS Accounts,
Box U-138
If mailing from outside campus, please use this address: UITS Accounts,
196 Auditorium Road, Unit 138,
University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269-3138
Finally, if you want to fax your completed form, please use this number: 860-486-4131
| Account Renewal |
Faculty, staff, administrative, and graduate accounts will be automatically renewed each year as long as the owner is currently affiliated with the University of Connecticut. For grad students, this means the individual must be enrolled and have paid the university fee bill for the current semester, by the last valid registration day, usually several weeks into the semester.
Class accounts will not be renewed automatically, and are active for the duration of the course, as indicated on the application form.
| Disk Space |
Permanent disk space - the home directory
Your home directory is /u/userid,where userid is the name of your UNIX userid. This will be your default directory when you login. To explicity
cd into your home directory, you could enter this command:
cd /u/userid
where userid is your UNIX userid.
/u is a symbolic link to the /homelv2 filesystem. Always refer to your home directory as /u/userid or $HOME. The environment variable HOME is automatically set to the name of your home directory. In addition, the Korn shell (ksh) uses the tilde character (~) as a shortcut for your home directory.
Disk space limits for the home directory
Because of the small user population on this server there are currently no quotas governing disk use. This policy will be reviewed periodically. Normal quotas for new accounts are set at 50 MB when enforced.
Temporary disk space - the work directory
Each account is allocated a temporary directory called /work/userid, where userid is your login userid. Please use your $WORK directory to store temporary files, and refrain from using /tmp. The $WORK environment variable is set to the value /work/userid in the default login profile.
Periodic cleanup of the /work filesystem
- /work will be cleaned up nightly. Files older than 1 week will be deleted.
- /tmp will be cleaned up nightly. Files older than 1 day will be deleted.
| CPU Limits |
There are currently NO CPU limits placed on your account.
| Backups |
The /homelv2 (/u) filesystemwill be backed up to tape incrementally every night. This means that any files that are newly created or modified on a given day are backed up that night. In addition, the /homelv2 (/u) filesystem will also be backed up completely at the end of each semester, and at the end of each summer session.To retrieve a file that has been lost, please contact the system administrator, at HelpCenter@UConn.Edu.
The /work filesystem is not currently backed up.
| Passwords |
Random passwords are assigned when a new account is created. Please note that userids and passwords are case sensitive in UNIX.
Changing your password
To change your password, you must SSH to the Compute server and issue the passwd command. From there, you will be prompted for your userid, and current password. Then you can enter a new password; you will be asked to enter it again to confirm it.
Forgotten passwords
If you forget your password, you will have to contact the UITS Help Center, at 486-4357 (select option 3). You may be required to come in person and show identification.