What is an account?
An account signifies that you have permission to use a computer. An account is specific to a computer. For example, you might have an account on Steel, but not have an account on the DaVinci cluster. An account gives you the following:
- a username - a username is a name that identifies you to the computer. Examples include "joebob37" and "clwolfe". At IU, usernames are usually composed of your last name, with one or two letters from your first name (and maybe your middle name, too!). Your username is the same for all UITS computer systems.
- a password - a string of characters that only you and the computer know. This lets you prove that you are who you say you are.
- a home directory - a home directory is a place to put files on the computer.
UNIX Computers at IUB
There are many UNIX computers in the IU system. Each one has a different intended purpose, hardware and software combination, and set of allowed users. You are most likely to use one of the following groups of machines:
| Common Name | Host Name | UNIX Flavor | Permitted Users | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakespeare | ariel.ucs.indiana.edu, iago.ucs.indiana.edu, kate.ucs.indiana.edu, lear.ucs.indiana.edu | Solaris | All IUB faculty, staff, and students | Email (only) |
| Steel | steel.ucs.indiana.edu | Solaris | All IUB faculty, staff, and students | General use, web pages, programming |
| DaVinci and Ships | davinci.ucs.indiana.edu, ships.ucs.indiana.edu | IRIX | All IUB faculty, staff, and students | Computer clusters for Graphics |
| Nations | nations.ucs.indiana.edu | Solaris | All IUB faculty, staff, and students | Computer cluster for programming |
| Research SP | libra.uits.iu.edu | AIX | All IU faculty, and staff and students with faculty sponsors | Research (parallel supercomputing) |
| Solar | solar.uits.indiana.edu | Solaris | Approved IU faculty, and staff and students with faculty sponsors | Research (shared memory parallel computing) |
We recommend that you use Steel as your training ground for learning UNIX. Note that there are other UNIX systems on campus (such as the CS Burrow, etc), but we won't be covering those, since they are not owned by UITS.
Creating a New Account
First, use a computer that you are already comfortable with, such as a Macintosh or a Windows computer. You may use your home computer or use a computer in one of the Student Technology Centers. If you are using your own computer, it must be connected to the Internet.
Open a web browser (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer), and go to http://iuaccts.ucs.indiana.edu.
Log in using your IUB network ID.
First, check to see if you already have an account.
- Click on "Display Information on Existing and Requested Accounts".
- Check to see if Steel is listed.
- Click "Return to Services Selection Menu".
If you do not have a Steel account, you can create one.
- Click on "Create accounts on UITS Computers".
- Click on Steel. If it is not listed, you may not be authorized to have a Steel account. Contact the UITS Support Center at 855-6789.
- Confirm that you wish to generate a Steel account.
- Enter your network password, and optionally enter a password for your steel account. If you do not enter a password, your Steel password will be the same as your Network ID password.
- Press the button to complete the application process.
- You account will be generated within 6 hours (usually within 10 minutes).
Exit the account system when you are finished.
Next: Connecting to a UNIX machine
Prev: Introduction
Up: Table of Contents
