Engineering Computing - FAQ/Solutions

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FAQ/Solutions

HOWTOs

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Updated: Please see the CRC wiki for Linux troubleshooting.

Have you tried rebooting? Sometimes you can fix problems by rebooting, since this ends potentially conflicting processes. To restart a Windows computer just press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, click Shutdown, and then Restart. In the Linux cluster, try logging out and logging back in.

Note: to prevent damage to the computers, please do not press the power off button.

I can't log in!

Windows: Are you sure that you have a NetID account and password to log in? Is OIT performing maintenance on their servers? Have you forgotten your password? Otherwise, see the Contact Us section to get help.
Linux: If you get a message saying that your session was less than 10 seconds, you probably have exceeded your AFS quota. At the login prompt press Alt-Ctrl-F4 to access the virtual console, which is a text-only login environment. Login as you normally would (type your username, then when prompted type your password). To see if you have ran out of quota, type `quota`. If your usage percentage (under the column %Used) is close to or over 100%, then you have run out of quota and must delete some of your files. A quick way to view your largest files is with the command `du | sort -n`, which will output a list of all your files with the largest at the bottom. You can now begin to delete some of your largest files until you are under quota. Note: the ~/YESTRDAY folder contains a daily backup and uses none of your quota. If you need more quota than you have, you may request a higher quota be set with the OIT Quota Request Form.

A program I'm trying to run won't work- what do I do?

      If the program (such as MathCad) asks for a license server, enter "knuth.helios.nd.edu". Otherwise, see the Contact Us section to get help.

How do I print? How do I print double sided?

      Check out our printing guide.

The Pharos printing stations are not working!

      First, try pushing the power button on the front of the station to turn it off. Wait 10 seconds and push it again to restart the station. If this does not solve the problem, contact the OIT Helpdesk at oithelp@nd.edu or by phone at 574-631-8111 (dial 1-8111 from a campus phone). Note: this does not apply to the non-Pharos printers in the Fitzpatrick main cluster. If there's a problem with them that a consultant can't help with, contact us at engtrouble@nd.edu.

How can I back up my files?

      On Windows machines, the 'My Documents', 'Favorites', and 'Desktop' folders are automatically backed up to Netfile space (in the Private folder of your N: drive). You may copy all other files onto the N: drive in order to back them up. Netfile storage is backed up regularly by Notre Dame OIT.

What kind of new computer should I buy?

See the recommended specifications for new machines, provided by Notre Dame OIT. The ratio of PCs to Macintosh machines on campus is roughly 4:1. Also, Engineering Computing does not officially support Mac OS X at this time (stay tuned though!). As such, a PC is recommended for most users.