Home Computers and SSH Use

You can access the CSL Instructional Unix workstations from any computer that is connected to the Internet. The best way to do that is with an SSH client. SSH is a secure remote-access program. An SSH client is included in the WiscWorld software package distributed on campus by DoIT. SSH clients are also available from various sources on the net.

If you have problem getting your home computer set up, the CSL will not be able to help you. For this type of problem, go to the DoIT helpdesk. The phone number for the DoIT helpdesk is 264-HELP or 264-4357. However, the CSL does maintain an FAQ to help you with home configurations at http://www.cs.wisc.edu/csl, but this is as far as the CSL can support home configurations.

The current instructional workstation names, locations, and operating systems are listed on http://www.cs.wisc.edu/csl. You can log on to any of the workstations with Unix or Linux listed as the operating system. Further, you can use best-<computer>.cs.wisc.edu to select the computer with a name like <computer>##.cs.wisc.edu with the lowest load. For example, you could log in to best-demo.cs.wisc.edu. If demo01.cs.wisc.edu has the lowest load among the demo##.cs.wisc.edu computers, you will automatically be logged in to demo01.cs.wisc.edu. Finally, logging into best-linux.cs.wisc.edu will log you into the instructional Unix/Linux computer with the lowest load.