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  1. Quick-Start Guides

ThinLinc

Getting started with ThinLinc.

PreviousExCL Remote DevelopmentNextConda and Spack Installation

Last updated 5 months ago

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  • Systems Availible
  • Accessing ThinLinc through the web interface
  • Accessing ThinLinc through ThinLinc Client
  • Potential Issues you may encounter

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The login node has ThinLinc install and can be accessed at https://login.excl.ornl.gov:300. Since this node is public facing, it is the easiest to access with ThinLinc.

In addition to the login node, multiple systems including the virtual systems have ThinLinc installed, which makes it easier to run graphical applications. To access ThinLinc you need to use as socks proxy to forward traffic to the ExCL network or port forwarding of port 22 to use the ThinLinc client.

For better keyboard shortcut support and to prevent the browser from triggering the shortcuts, I recommend installing Open-as-Popup.

If you run into a "ThinLinc login failed. (No agent server was available)" error, then login to the node with ssh. This will mount your home directory and resolve the ThinLinc error.

Systems Availible

Hostname
URL

Firefly

https://Firefly.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Intrepid

https://Intrepid.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Tardis

https://Tardis.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Polarden

https://Polarden.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Zenith

https://Zenith.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Lewis

https://Lewis.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Clark

https://Clark.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Pcie

https://Pcie.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Aries

https://Aries.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

Bonsai

https://Bonsai.ftpn.ornl.gov:300

The URL will only work once the SOCKS proxy is set up. FoxyProxy can be used to automatically set up SOCKS proxy forwarding.

Accessing ThinLinc through the web interface

  1. Setup FoxyProxy and make sure to have the SOCKS dynamic proxy running.

  2. Connect to the ThinLinc server using the links above.

Accessing ThinLinc through ThinLinc Client

This approach is recommended if you need better keyboard forwarding support for keyboard shortcuts that are not working with the Web client. The web client approach is easier to use and enables connecting to multiple systems at a time.

If the system is directly accessible (for example login.excl.ornl.gov), then you can specify the system and connect directly.

If the system is an internal node, then local port forwarding must be used. The steps to setting this up are as follows.

  1. Forward port 22 from the remote system to your local system through login. On Linux or macOS

     $ ssh -L <localport>:<hostname>:22 <Username>@login.excl.ornl.gov

    On windows use ssh via powershell, MobaSSHTunnel, Visual Studio Code, or putty to forward port 22. See Jupyter Quickstart for more information on port forwarding in windows.

  2. Add alias in hosts file for the remote node. This is needed because of how ThinLinc establishes the remote connected. On Linux this host file is /etc/hosts. On windows the file is C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Host file:

    127.0.0.1 <hostname>
    ::1       <hostname>
  3. Launch the ThinLinc Client.

  4. In the options, specify the SSH port to be <localport>.

  5. Specify the Server, Username, and credentials.

  6. Connect to the server with "Connect".

Potential Issues you may encounter

If you use Gnome and do not have access to the module command when you start a terminal session over ThinLinc web, then your terminal session may not be configured as a login session. To resolve

  1. Right click on the terminal icon on the left side of your screen

  2. In Preferences -> Unnamed, make sure Run command as a login shell is checked.

You will then get login processing (including sourcing the /etc/profiles.d files) and so the module command will now be present.

Revision created 5 months ago

Updated notes.