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How to Use NoMachine 4.4

Using NoMachine

What is NoMachine and how can I use it? NoMachine is a software that runs on multiple platforms (ie: Windows, Mac, and Linux). It is an enduser client that connects to a remote desktop session running on the engineering NoMachine Cluster. Each time you connect to aNoMachine session the user will be given a full CentOS 6.6 Redhat Linux desktop to use. The NoMachine Cluster is a multi-node cluster,and is load balanced between all nodes. Which means when you connect or start a new NX connection the user will be placed on the server(node of cluster) with the most available resources. To give some examples of what can be done from the NoMachine Linux desktop. A usercan start Cadence, MATLAB, Mathematica, or even compile written programs then save output to their home directory. Users can connectUSB Drives to their workstations and manage files in their home directory. Workstations include client PC's or Mac's as well as Zero-Clientslocated in various open access labs. The NoMachine cluster is a shared resource between all of the engineering students of UTD.  Pleasekeep this in mind when writing large files out to /tmp or processor intensive programs as an example. The NoMachine Cluster is not aresearch tool to be used on large research projects.

This document covers how to use the NoMachine client to connect to the Department of Engineering NX cluster.

Open the NoMachine client application.  Find NoMachine in the Start Menu and Start the client application.

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2. The next two screens are informational only. Once you're familiar with the NoMachine client you can check the Don't show this button and then click the button to avoid seeing these screens in the future.message again Continue

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3.  Once NoMachine starts you will need to add a new connection in the NoMachine connection list to access the NX cluster.  

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4. The connection protocol should be set to .  This is a faster protocol than the SSH protocol but still secure.NX

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5. Enter as the host to connect to and leave the port at the default of engnx.utdallas.edu .4000

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6. Set the authentication method to .Password

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7. No proxy is needed so leave the Proxy setting to  and continue on.Don't use a proxy

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8. The last step is to give the connection a name.  This is just a name that should be familiar and makes sense to you.  Enter a newname or leave the default and then click  .Done

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Opening the new connectionHighlight the connection server by clicking on it once if not already highlighted then click .Connect

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2. Enter your login information and click .  You may wish to save your login information by checking the OK Save this password in the box.connection file

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3. Creating your virtual desktop.  Highlight by single clicking the icon and then .Create a new virtual destop Continue.You can also double click the connection name to skip the  click.Continue

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4. Note this information screen.  will bring up the options screen.  You may want to keep this splash screen as a<Ctrl - Alt - 0>reminder about exiting or making screen setting changes once inside the NX Client otherwise check Dont show this message

then click OK.again

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5. On the next screen near the bottom you have the option to select the Window Size used.  These are toggle buttons so you can turnon or off the selection by clicking the option a second time.

From left to right:

(Fit to window) (Resize remote screen) (Full-screen) (Full-screen on all screens) (Minimize) (Change settings).  If left unchanged thedefault is to keep the NX client in a floating window.

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6. Select the image quality.  A quick reminder about image quality.  If you are connecting remotely from the internet (depending on yourconnection speed) you may have degraded screen refresh speeds, and you may want to use a smalled1:4 ratio quality.The images will not be as clear if you chose the lower settings.  Clicking to start your desktop once you type in your passwordDone

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to unlock your screen.

 

Reconnecting to a running NX SessionIf you fell like you taking a break or returning to your work later you can easily resume or reconnect to a running NX Session.  Please do notuse this as an alternative to saving your work.  Your work will not be saved it is only left running the back ground.

 Just closing the Window where the NX Client is running.  The NX client will automatically send your session to the background andprep the connection to be resumed later on the server.

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2. Take the normal steps of Connecting to the NX cluster as stated above and your session will resume.

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Terminating the connectionYou may wish to terminate your connection if you are going to be logged off an extended period of time, or you my just want to refresh yourdesktop to start over on a task from scratch.

To terminate or fully log out of your NX session.  Click the "Log Out" button which is the green man running next to the system menupull down then click log out on the following window

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You can also terminate your session through the command line with pkill -KILL -u <netid>. 

{engnx11:~} pkill -KILL -u netid

Common issues connecting to NX for WindowsThe most common problem that users typically have when trying to log into the NX cluster is due to a full home directory.  At least 20MB need to be free in the user's home directory in order to start an NX session.

The total amount of usable space depends on where the home directory is located.  There are multiple home directory servers oncampus, but the two main servers are engstor and olympus.   

Olympus is the generally available home directory server for campus.  Most undergraduate students will have a home directory onthis server.  The home directory quota limit is 300MB.

Engstor is the home directory file server for the Department of Engineering.  Most graduate students and sponsored students willhave a home directory on engstor.  The home directory quota limit is 1GB.

To determine which server your home directory is on run the command  

echo $HOME

{fury:~} echo $HOME/home/eng/n/netid

After running the above command, if your home directory starts with /home/eng then you are on the engstor system with the defaultquota of 1 Gig.  If your home directory starts with /home/004 or /home/005 then your home directory is on olympus with the defaultquota of 300MB.

The space available is the total data you own on the entire storage system.  This does not only count the space in your home.  Forexample if you moved a 750 Meg file to a friend's temp space where you have write access.  It will still count against your quotaeven though it is not in your home.  You will only have 250 meg available to write data into your home directory.

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For users that have a HOME directory which resides on the olympus server please look at the following page. http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/howto/quotas/

To check the size of your home directory log into the Giant or Fury server and run a quota command to confirm space used and limitof your home.

{fury:~} /sbin/quota -vDisk quotas for netid (uid #######):Filesystem usage quota limit timeleft files quota limit timeleft/home/eng 4524486 6291456 6291456 - - - - -

The /sbin/quota -v command will display used and available disk space in kbytes on a Solaris server.  The quota and limit fields arethe same, this is how much space you are allowed to use total not the remaining space available.

Reminder if your quota is full you will not be able to use the NoMachine client to access the one of the NX nodes, but Giant and Furydo not reject connections if your home directory is full.

The NX Cluster is using CentOS 6.5, and you can check your quota while logged into one of the NX nodes directly if you wish to doso.  Use the following commands to check from CentOS Linux. $ quota -m -A -s

{engnx11:~} quota -m -A -sDisk quotas for user netid (uid ######): Filesystem blocks quota limit grace files quota limit graceengstor:/export/home/ 4419M 6144M 6144M 0 0 0

Users are not allowed multiple logins simultaneously to the NX Cluster.  Unless a user is planning to resume a running session theyshould terminate their connection first when exiting the NX client. At the end of the semester all connections will be terminated for patching and standard maintenance.The permissions of ~/.ssh should never be altered.  SSH will stop working if these permissions are changed.

Permission of the .ssh directory in a users HOME directory should be set to drwx------ or numerically this is equivalent to 700.

If by accident these permissions are ever changed they can be corrected by typing this command from a Linux or UNIX terminalwhen in the HOME directory.

 {engnx11:~} chmod 700 ~/.ssh