Last updated: 1 Feb 2008

In the instructions below, substitute your UW Net ID wherever you see "uwnetid".

The Repository Server

The Repository Server is the place for coursework and projects that use databases or Java Server Pages (JSP) and last one quarter. That means that during the quarter, you may use this server for your coursework, but after the quarter ends, any information stored on this server will be deleted.

Please note that we will not delete information stored in your mounted Windows home directory (the subdirectory called win in your Linux home directory). That Windows home directory actually resides on the primary file server (currently, \\itfiles).

Eventually, there will be another server where projects can be stored for a longer term.

Logging in to the Repository Server

In order to do anything on the server, you must be logged in:

1. Use SSH to login to the repository server, which is called:

     repos.insttech.washington.edu
     

   Your login account is your UW Net ID and its password is your INSTTECH Windows logon password (even though it is a Linux server).

   If SSH warns you that the "HOST CONNECTION HAS CHANGED", and asks "Do you want to continue with the connection?", click on the "Yes" button to see the password prompt.

   Note: If your password was reset by lab staff or because it expired and needs to be changed (e.g., after taking off the summer quarter), you will need to login to your Windows account (INSTTECH) first and change your password before you will be able to login to the Repository Server.

2. Your Windows home directory is not automatically mounted. You must type:

     mounthome
     

   after you login to mount it.

   You will be prompted for your INSTTECH password again; entering it will cause your Windows home directory to be mounted on a subdirectory called win, which you can see by typing

     ls win
     

   If you entered the wrong password, your Windows home directory will not be mounted and all files will be local to cssgate. You can type

     exit
     

   and login again to get your Windows home directory.

3. Part of the initial logon process sets up access to other services.

   It also sets up passwords to those services, which is placed in your local home directory (shorthand for this is '~'), in this file: ~/.pw

4. Develop using the repository services (see below).
5. Don't link to your Windows home directory's files and subdirectories.

   Your Windows home directory, mounted on win, is unmounted when you exit the login shell for the last time. If you link to directories within the mounted directory, it will not be there when you log off, which may cause web serving and database access failures.

6. Please exit to logoff.

   Entering

     exit
     

   helps with an orderly exit from the SSH session.

Repository Services

• remote access to home directories

  Files on your INSTTECH Windows home directory (i.e., ~/win) or your UWT Windows home directory (i.e., ~/uwtwin) can be securely transferred between the computer running the SSH client and the repository server.

  For example, this feature allows you to run SSH from your home computer and save or retrieve files that you use in the lab from your home directory. Transfer speeds are limited by your Internet connection technology; e.g., dialup phone connections will transfer files much more slowly than DSL or cable connections.

• serving static web pages

  Create a local directory called public_html (mkdir ~/public_html) and make sure it is world-readable (chmod o+rx ~/public_html). Place all of your static web pages in that directory, and Apache will service any request for them. Make sure that the files are all world-readable as well.

  From a web browser, your index.html file can be accessed by:

    http://repos.insttech.washington.edu/~uwnetid
    

  when you substitute your UW Net ID for 'uwnetid'.

• managing data with relational DBMSes
  1. mysql

     Currently, a mysql database is automatically created. The name of the database is your UW Net ID. A mysql user is also created, with most privileges (including the right to grant privileges you own). The same user can access the database locally (via localhost) and remotely (accepts any host name). Your mysql password is in ~/.pw

  2. firebird (commercial quality)

     A directory is created for your files, called /home/firebird/uwnetid (use your own UW Net ID for "uwnetid"). Your databases can be created within that directory, using IBConsole on Windows or isql on either Windows or Linux. You have a firebird database account with your UW Net ID as the account name. Your firebird password is in ~/.pw

• serving dynamic web pages via:
  1. tomcat (JSP and servlets)

     There is a tomcat user with your UW Net ID created for you. The tomcat user password is in ~/.pw

     Please read Using Tomcat for more information on how to create servlets that run.

  2. PHP

     PHP 5.1.6 is available for use, subject to these restrictions (more may be added in the future):

     1. Only PHP scripts in your ~/public_html directory will be runnable.
     2. The scripts can only read or write to files within your ~/public_html directory.
     3. The system() command is disabled.
• managing and versioning development resources via:
  1. CVS (Concurrent Versions System)

     CVS is available via Windows using jCVS or Eclipse, and on Windows or Linux command shells via the cvs command.

  2. Subversion

     svn is available via Windows using Eclipse with the Subversive plugin, and on Windows or Linux command shells via the svnadmin and svn commands.

  Note that due to privacy and other concerns, connections to a remote repository must be tunneled through SSH.

  Team accounts can be requested for group projects.

Change Log