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CRC Using SSH to Login and Copy Files on the campus network for our Resources
Introduction
Logins and file transfers to the Shared Computing Resources are accomplished by using SSH. The following describes how to use SSH on a Unix or Linux system to login to these systems from on campus and how to use SCP to transfer files. All of the instructions below assume that you are logging in to these systems from on campus.
You must apply for an account.
If you do not have an account on the Shared Computing Resources then you should apply for one. You will need a faculty sponsor for your account who is willing to pay the access fee.
How to Login with SSH
The following are valid SSH commands that can be used to login:
Substitute the hostname of the system you are logging in to in place of hostname.rice.edu and substitute your username in place of username.
The very first time you login, you will receive the following reply from SSH:
Future attempts to login will only result in you being prompted for your password unless you are using a different desktop system. Each time you change to a different desktop system, you will be greeted with this message from SSH.
How to Transfer Files with SCP
In order to transfer files from your Linux or Unix desktop, use the scp (Secure Copy) command which is a component of SSH. The following example will transfer files from your desktop to your home directory on the remote system:
Substitute the hostname of the system you are logging in to in place of hostname.rice.edu and substitute your username in place of username.
After you enter your password, scp will display a list of all files transferred along with their size and transfer speed.
How to Login or Transfer Files from Off-Campus
Direct logins and file transfers from off-campus are not allowed. Please see our Off-Campus Access FAQ for details on connecting from off-campus.
Using SSH on Mac
The MacOS operating system on the Mac already has SSH as part of its default installation and will work the same way as described above from a terminal window.
Using SSH on Windows 10
Windows 10 has the ability to install an ssh/scp native client via PowerShell and is the recommended starting point for connecting to SSH resources. Alternatively you can install putty from https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html. If you want a file transfer client GUI you can use filezilla from here https://filezilla-project.org/.