The Linux Team provides two options for setting up and handling machines. The details for each are explained below:
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*Please note that due to a recent decision by Dean Banks, most Tier 2 scenarios will need approval by the Dean’s office. |
All Devices
In both cases, the Linux Team installs the following as part of a base installation:
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Basic Linux command-line utilities
The gcc compiler
A base suite of software (on Workstations)
Firefox
Emacs and Vim
LibreOffice
Thunderbird
TeX Live
Backups
Users are responsible for backing up their own home directories. If the machine is managed, all installed software can be reinstalled exactly as is without any problems, but user home directory data must be backed up and restored by the user. If the machine is managed and a reinstall is necessary, we will make every reasonable attempt to preserve user (home directory) data.
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Fully Managed (Tier 1)
This is the preferred option because it ensures the highest level of security and requires almost nothing from the end-user. We will assist with any problems that arise and generally help in any way that we reasonably can. Security patching happens automatically, and users are required to reboot once per semester (between semesters) to guarantee that kernel updates have been applied. Reboots may be required during a semester if a severe enough vulnerability is announced.
For software installation and removal, the Linux Team offers self-service package management. This allows non-privileged users to install and remove most packages from the system’s repositories. Self-service software management can be requested by the machine owner (not the machine user) or a professor in the research lab (whichever is applicable).
Caveats
We do not provide users root access to managed systems. However, users generally only need this access to install software, which can be achieved through the self-service feature. If you need this feature, then you should request that it be enabled to start the approval process. Users are free to download, compile, and install software into their own home directories, as most of the time this does not require any special access (see Compiling and Installing Programs in Your Home Directory).
What We Need From You
When we take over the management of a machine, it will be installed from scratch to establish a baseline. We will need the following information to install and set it up:
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Note: Tier 1 machines should remain on at night to allow nightly security patching.
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Self-Supported (Tier 2)
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As of January 2020, there is a new policy for Tier 2 computers. |
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Note: no further assistance will be provided for the machine. In the event of a problem, we can only reinstall the machine from scratch, so we recommend maintaining current backups.
Caveats
All additional software must be installed by your group, and we will not assist any further with the machine. This means that if you run into problems after making changes to, or updating the machine, you will be on your own. If you get to a point where you cannot use the machine anymore, we can reinstall it from scratch. You are responsible for backing up your data prior to our reinstall.
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