Script-2.txt

Hello and welcome to the Research IT Videos Channel. 

In this first series we will introduce you the MERCED Cluster. 

In the first video we've seen how to request an account on the merced cluster.
In This second video will show you how to access and connect it for the first
time and issue your first commands.

The instructions in this video will mostly target users of Linux and MacOS
operating systems. The step to connect to the MERCED cluster are slightly
different when using a Windows machine and will the subject of a followup
video. 

Let's get started. 

-- 

Mac and Linux comes bundled with Terminal application. You can find it on MacOS
in the /Application Folder or using spotlight. On linux you can find it in your
usual application launcher. 

We know have a what is called a shell, or a terminal. We are not going to dive
too much into what can be done in a shell for this video. Just think about it
as a way to give command to a computer using text.

Right now this shell is talking to my local machine. I can check this by
entering the command "hostname" and pressing enter. 

We can see in the response that I am currently giving commands to my laptop.

Now we are going to connect to the Head node of the HPC system. Do to do we are going to enter the following command:

- SSH 
- space
- followed by your UC Merced net id. 
- the at sign
- merced.ucmerced.edu

--- 

Your initial password should have been given to you during your account request. 
Typing the password will show nothing on screen. 

Here we get the Merced Welcome screen, this can give you critical information
about future maintance when the cluster will be offline, as well as when to
attend office hours. 

On first login we'll be also asked to change our password for security reason. After
confirming our password we'll be logout and can login again with our new password. 

    ssh bobcat@merced.ucmerced.edu

Let's press Y for the first questions. 

-- 

These are the only two times where you  will be asked questions when connected
to the Merced cluster. On subsequent connections you shoudl be greeted
immediately with a shell promopt on the remote machine as I have here. 


Let's check we are properly connected to a remote system. We can issue the
command "hostname" to know which machine we are currently controlling. 

Let's look at the files at our disposal: 

> ls 

At the start we only have  help folder. 

That's it for now. We still can't run large or long lasting jobs on the HPC
system. We'll see that  in next video.