This is an attempt to help get you started using the Math department computing resources. If you don't already have one, a new departmental computer account will be created for you. The initial password for your account should be changed as soon as you log in the first time. This account is completely separate from any CIS accounts you may have. The Math department runs it's own mail system, so you will all have an email address for this department. Your email address here will be username@math.okstate.edu.
You can login to any of the machines in MS421, or any of the X-terminals around campus. MS421 is the Math department terminal room. It contains 2 PCs, a scanner, two laser jet printers, and three X-terminals. This room is locked at all times. If you have an office in this building your key may also unlock this room. If not see the front office for a key. Some of you may also have an X-terminal or PC in your office.
The primary host for the math department is hardy (hardy.math.okstate.edu). This machine is a Dell PowerEdge 6300 server with four Pentium III processors and a gig of memory. We also have a dedicated mail server (mail.math.okstate.edu), and a web server (www.math.okstate.edu). For a more complete description of the departmental servers and other computer systems please see the system guide for the OSU mathematics department.
For those of you who haven't used Unix before it's a little like DOS on steroids. There is short reference for Unix commands and vi, the basic Unix editing program, included in this packet. We also have a tutorials web page that includes some basic Unix tutorials.
If you login to an X-terminal you have to identify the host system that you want to connect to from the telnet menu. The telnet menu is the first window you're presented with on our X-terminals. Each entry listed is a separate internet host that my may be selected if you have an account on that system. A typical X-terminal telnet menu looks like this:
Default Hosts 139.79.100.11 Telnet-osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu UCC Unix System 139.78.112.1 Telnet-papa.math.okstate.edu Primary UNIX Server 139.78.112.2 Telnet-hardy.math.okstate.edu New Math Primary Unix Server 139.78.112.20 Telnet-www.math.okstate.edu Math Web Server 139.78.112.5 Telnet-mail.math.okstate.edu Math Mail Server 139.78.113.1 Telnet-a.cs.okstate.edu Computer Science SunAfter selecting a host a login screen will appear. Enter your username and password when asked and Poof! You're logged in.
In order to connect to the math servers from your PC you need a SSH client or an X-server. Most PCs have SSH Secure Shell Client installed on them.
The Math Department does not own any modems. There is a campus modem pool that's maintained by CIS (Computing and Information Services) CIS has on online Dial-Up Access Information document that details how your modem needs to be set up to dial-in, etc. The CIS HelpDesk office is located on the first floor of this building in room 113.
When you received your username and initial password for you account you also got instructions on how to change your password. Do this ASAP! Your password is the first defense against others using your account. But this is a little math department in the middle of cowville and no one cares about your account anyway, right? If this were true it would be a lot less work for the system administrators. Actually our systems are a fairly regular target for hackers, not necessarily because there is secret data that they want to steal. Most of the time they seem to be interested in free space to set up an illegal software distribution site or run a chatroom. The majority of the account break-ins that we have occur because of bad passwords.
A bad password is your username, your dog's name, your birthday, the name of your favorite band, or anything else that's easy to guess. A good password is 6-8 characters long, mixes upper and lower case letters, is not based on a dictionary word (English or otherwise), and contains at least on non alpha-numeric character.
Here's an example of how to come up with a good password. (Please don't
use this one now that I've written it down for everyone to see...hint, hint)
Take a phrase like the title of a movie, a line from a book or TV show you
like, a phrase that's easy for you to remember, etc. Let's take a line from
a Janis Joplin song My friends all drive Porsches. Take the
first letter of each word ...Mfadp...that's only 5 letters so
it's too short. Instead ofp for Porsche let's substitute a model
number like 928. That gives us....Mfad928. That's still too
short and all alpha-numeric characters. So lets add thes from
friends in like this....Mf$ad928. That's long enough. Now lets
mix it up a little....mf$Ad928. Now what have is 8 mixed
characters that don't come from any dictionary and have a phrase attached to
them so you'll remember them.
Please, please, please pick good passwords and change them regularly!
We have a set of online computing howtos, that will hopefully answer some of your questions. There is a list of online tutorials for Unix available. There are also a number of books, manuals and printouts in MS421. These contain info on Unix, TeX, etc.
There are books on Unix and TeX available in the OSU bookstore also if you're interested in purchasing a book. Students who have been in the department for a while will probably be glad to answer your questions also.
If you really get stuck on something you can email the system administrator and other tech folks at sysmgr@math.oskstate.edu. Please keep in mind that system administrators primary responsibility is the maintenance of all the servers, printers and user accounts....so if there is a lot going on it may be awhile before your question is answered.
Back to the Math Computing Home Page
Back to the Math Home Page
This page was last updated on February 7, 2003. Questions, suggestions, and general grumpings should be sent to webmaster_at_math.okstate.edu