Sector 34-ID-C Remote Operation

Remote Connection to 34-ID-C

The NoMachine server is delos.aps.anl.gov

APS IT has basic instructions for using NoMachine.

The following document is detailed instructions for accessing 34-ID-C.

Basic Spec at 34-ID-C

Courtesy of Don Walko at 7-ID. The struck components are not relevant to 34-ID-C.

Walko Spec basics

Spec crystal alignment instructions courtesy of Prof. Ian Robinson.

File:IanRSpecNotes.pdf

At 34-ID-C we run spec in a screen session for access from multiple terminals on cxd0. If you get a message similar to:

   Can't lock state file "/net/s34dserv/xorApps/spec/linux-x86/34id/spec.d/sixc/userfiles/epix34id_ttyp#L".
   Are you already running on this terminal or another virtual tty?

Spec is already running! Typically in a "screen" session. Screen allows multiple terminals to connect to a "screen session". commands to know are:

This will display a list of the current screen sessions.

   cxd0% screen -ls
   There are screens on:
       4300.simspec	(Attached)
       12243.labtrans	(Attached)
       13775.simspec	(Detached)
       6123.spec	(Attached)
   4 Sockets in /var/run/screen/S-epix34id.

To attach to one of the existing sessions:

   cxd0% screen -x spec

You should see the familiar spec interface. If you want the screen to resize to the window/terminal size enter ctrl-a F Then the screen/spec terminal will follow the window size.

If you wish to create a new screen session, with a custom name like "spec" you can run:

   cxd0% screen -S spec

Only do this if there is not already a screen session called spec when you type screen -ls. You will see the terminal screen clear and a new prompt appear. You are now in a separate, attached screen session.

To detach from any screen session and leave it intact (whatever is running in it keeps running) you press CTRL-a d (control a followed by not control d) To exit a screen session (and kill anything that is running in it), just type exit at the shell prompt.

Startup Beamline controls

0. Log into the control computer if not already. The username is cxduser and the password is the standard for the sector.

1. Start the SSH program. An Icon is usually on the desktop. In windows it's SSH Tectia-Terminal, on a mac you just open a Terminal.

  Windows:
  Click Quick Connect button on the SSH tool bar.
  The default should be to log into cxd0.xray.aps.anl.gov
  The default user should be cxduser
  Please don't write the password in publicly available documents (google docs etc.).
  Mac:
  Type on the command line of a terminal:
    ssh -X cxduser@cxd0
 

2. On Windows you will need to ensure that the X server is running. An icon called Exceed should be on the desktop. If it is already running there will be an icon on the taskbar that looks like and X wearing a top hat. Don't ask me why the X is wearing a top hat.

3. At the cxd0 prompt type cxdusermenu and press enter/return.

   -bash-4.2% cxdusermenu

4. A small grey controls window should appear on one of the screens. Click the left most menu that says Control and select the 34ID-C mainscreen menu option. You should see the familiar control window for the beamline.

Alternatively, there are icons on the windows desktop that will open the main control screen or the cxdusermenu. Hopefully they continue to work after IT updates things.

Beamline Calendars

If you care about the 34-ID-C schedule. These files are available externally to APS, so you can add them to Google or whatever you like.

     A new version of the Beamline Scheduling application will be released
     tomorrow (6/25/2013).  This will be version 2-20-0.  Work on the internal
     server will start at 10AM.  Work on the external server will start at 1PM.
     Changes in this version will include:

    - Additional iCal (.ics) files will be produced automatically. These files
    will solve the problem that all iCal files presently contain a copy
    of the run schedule.  This produces clutter on calendars where
    individuals would like to display more than one beamline.  The calendars
    files are stored in the usual location:
        https://schedule.aps.anl.gov/schedules/
    The original calendar files have file names similar to the beamline name
    shown in the Schedule System (i.e 34-ID-C.ics).  For beamlines that
    contain characters that cannot be used in filenames (such as a comma)
    those characters become an underscore (e.g. 6-ID-B,C goes to 6-ID-B_C.ics).
    New files that will be created include the following:
       - Append _brief (such as 34-ID-C_brief.ics) contain the same
         information as the original files with no run schedule or staff
         support information.
       - Append _staff (such as 34-ID-C_staff.ics) contain only the staff
         support information.
       - runSchedule.ics contains information about the run schedule only.
       - runSchedule_brief.ics  This reduces shutdown and machine
         studies periods to show only the first and last days.