What is Isengard?
Isengard is the Mines Linux Server available for all students to utilize for any Linux projects, classwork, or anything that you might need to do. Isengard syncs with any Linux computer on campus that you log onto and allows you to share the data across machines.
How can you connect to Isengard?
In order to connect to Isengard, you must be on campus (using the campus wired network or on eduroam or Mines wireless networks) or be using the VPN. If you do not know how to use the VPN here is a link to the article on how to connect:
https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDClient/1946/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=133729
(Windows)
You can connect to Isengard via an SSH Client. (If you are off-campus, you will need to connect to the VPN). The recommended client is PuTTY which can be found here: Download PuTTY: latest release (0.78) (greenend.org.uk). You will need to find out what the system type is which can be found by typing system information in the windows search menu. You should see this:
After opening the app, you should be able to find the system type. Download the respective version of PuTTY for your machine and then run the installer and follow the instructions.
Afterwards, launch the PuTTY app by searching for it again (or use a desktop shortcut if you created one). You should then be able to enter yourMinesEmail@isengard.mines.edu in the host name field and hit open in order to start a connection to isengard.
Upon first opening you might get a PuTTY Security Alert. You should hit either Accept or Connect Once in order to finish connecting to the server. Enter your password and then you will be signed onto the server.
Make sure to type exit when you are done with the server to cleanly log out.
Alternatives to PuTTY
On Windows you can connect to Isengard through a Command Line Prompt rather than using PuTTY. In order to do so a few setup tasks must be completed first.
In order to use SSH from the command line on Windows 10 or 11, you must make sure that it is a feature that is turned on. By default Windows 10 and 11 do not have SSH enabled but the process for doing so is rather easy. Navigate to Windows Settings > Apps > Optional Features. Then search to see if SSH is in your installed features. If it is there then you are good to go. If not then you must search for the OpenSSH Client by clicking on view features at the top of the page. Installing this will allow you to do the following command and access Isengard:
ssh yourMinesUsername@isengard.mines.edu
(You will have to accept the SSH fingerprint on first attempt at log on and then enter your password every time)
Make sure to type exit when you are done with the server to cleanly log out.
(Mac)
On Mac, you can connect to Isengard in several different ways, the easiest of which is through the terminal and using the ssh command. The full command for doing this is:
ssh yourMinesUsername@isengard.mines.edu
(If it asks if you want to allow the ssh fingerprint you must type out the full word yes)
Alternatively you can install a graphical use interface similar to how you can on windows. The process is a bit more involved and requires that you install homebrew. There are other clients other than PuTTY for Mac OS but here is a link to a tutorial to get you started with PuTTY: https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/putty/mac
Make sure to type exit when you are done with the server to cleanly log out.
Basic Commands for Linux
| man |
Brings you to the manual page about a given command |
| cd |
Change the directory that you are currently in (think folders in Windows) |
| ls |
List the items in the current directory (or if you give it a file path will list what is in the file path) |
| cp and mv |
Copy or a move a file from a given location to another location |
| cat |
Outputs a file to the STDOUT (AKA the terminal) |
| echo |
Repeats a user string to STDOUT |
| chmod and chgrp |
File permission and group settings. Useful to change the permissions of a file so that it is Readable, Writable, and/or Executable by different users |
| vim (vi), nano, pico, emacs |
Text editors for editing files (Recommend finding a tutorial for vim and emacs) |
| zip and unzip |
Useful for zipping and unzipping folders/files |
| rm and rmdir |
Used to remove files and directories |
| mkdir |
Make directories |
| scp |
Used on a host machine in order to copy files from the host to the server or vice versa. Use this in order to get files to and from remote ssh type servers |