Quick start

Command line access

  1. Use your preferred SSH client
  2. Connect to workshop.colorado.edu
  3. Login with the username and password that have been provided to you

Changing your password

demonstrating changing a password at the command line is available.

  1. Use SSH to get command line access
  2. Run the program passwd
    1. Enter your old password where prompted
    2. Enter your new password, twice
      1. Your new password must be six or more characters
      2. Your new password must contain a capital letter or other non-letter character
    3. Use the new password the next time you login

RStudio

  1. Connect to
  2. Login with your provided username and password, or your new password if you changed it

Detailed Instructions

Command line access

Password changes and many of the practicals require command line access to the Workshop computing cluster. Command line access is obtained using the SSH protocol. There are many 鈥淪SH clients鈥�, which are programs used to make SSH connections. If you have preferred one, then use that one.

The Workshop computing cluster is setup so that connections to workshop.colorado.edu are spread out to the different nodes of the cluster. When logged in your command prompt will appear similar to

username@workshop-29:~$

which means you are logged into Workshop node number 29. Repeated logins may or may not connect to the same node. Which node you connect to is not important, as all files and programs are available from every node.

Apple macOS and Linux

These instructions apply to all versions of macOS and distributions of Linux.

Builtin SSH client

Linux and macOS come with a builtin SSH client that is run from the command line.

demonstrating using SSH from a Mac Terminal window is available.

  1. Open a terminal window
    1. On macOS, use Spotlight to search for the program terminal and run it, or find it under Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
    2. On Linux, open a terminal such as gnome-terminal, konsole, xfce4-terminal, or any of many others
  2. At the command prompt type ssh @workshop.colorado.edu
    1. Where is the Workshop username that you have been provided
    2. For example, if your username is 鈥渟tudent12鈥� then type ssh student12@workshop.colorado.edu
  3. The first time you connect you will be asked to verify workshop.colorado.edu. See the SSH fingerprints section for information. It is generally safe to answer yes.

Microsoft Windows 10

On Windows computers it is recommended that a third party SSH client is used.

PuTTY

demonstrating installing PuTTY and using it to connect to the Workshup cluster is available.

PuTTY is a popular SSH client for Windows (and other operating systems).

  1. Installation
    1. Download from
    2. You probably want the 鈥淢SI (鈥榃indows Installer鈥�)鈥� 64-bit version
    3. It will be a file named putty-64bit-0.74-installer.msi, but possibly with a different version number
  2. Once the file is downloaded, run it to install PuTTY
    1. It is safe to accept the default options
    2. Click 鈥淣ext鈥� through the install wizard, until it finishes
  3. Using PuTTY
    1. By default, PuTTY can be found in the 鈥淪tart鈥� menu under 鈥淧uTTY (64-bit) -> PuTTY鈥�
    2. Running PuTTY will open the PuTTY Configuration window
    3. Enter workshop.colorado.edu into the 鈥淗ost Name鈥� field
    4. Click 鈥淥K鈥�, or press enter
    5. The PuTTY Security Alert window will be shown on the first connection. It is usually safe to click 鈥淵es鈥�, but see the SSH fingerprints section for a full explanation.
    6. The PuTTY terminal window will open with the promp login as:
    7. Enter your Workshop username and password


The PuTTY Configuration window


The PuTTY Security Alert window


The PuTTY terminal window

Bitvise SSH client

demonstrating installing Bitvise and using it to SSH to the Workshop cluster is available.

Bitvise is another popular SSH client for Windows. It is somewhat more complicated to setup than PuTTY, but has more features.

  1. Installation
    1. Download from the
    2. Click the 鈥淒ownload Bitvise SSH Client installer鈥� button
    3. Once the program has downloaded, run it to install the Bitvise SSH client
    4. If you agree to the terms of the license then check the box, and click 鈥淚nstall鈥�
    5. When the installation completes, click 鈥淥k鈥� to dismiss the installer window
  2. Using Bitvise SSH Client
    1. By default, Bitvise SSH Client can be found in the 鈥淪tart鈥� menu under 鈥淏itvise SSH Client -> Bitvise SSH Client鈥�
    2. Running it will open the Bitvise SSH Client window
    3. Create a profile for workshop.colorado.edu
      1. Click the 鈥淣ew profile鈥� icon
      2. Enter a name for the profile, such as 鈥渨orkshop.colorado.edu鈥�
      3. Enter workshop.colorado.edu into the 鈥淗ost鈥� field
      4. Enter your Workshop username into the 鈥淯sername鈥� field
      5. Click the 鈥淪ave profile鈥� icon
    4. When opening a new Bitvise SSH Client session
      1. Click the 鈥淟oad profile鈥� icon
      2. Select the profile you created for the Workshop
    5. Once the profile is loaded, click the 鈥淟og in鈥� button at the bottom of the window
    6. The first time you connect the 鈥淗ost Key Verification鈥� window will appear
      1. It is usually safe to click 鈥淎ccept and Save鈥�
      2. See the SSH fingerprints section for a full explanation
    7. The 鈥淯ser Authentication鈥� window will appear, enter your Workshop password into the 鈥淧assword鈥� field
    8. This will create Bitvise terminal and file transfer windows


The Bitvise SSH Client window


Creating the Workshop profile


The Host Key Verification window


The User Authentication window


The Bitvise terminal window

SSH fingerprints

Mostly, you do not need to worry about this, and can take whatever action is necessary to accept the key, such as typing yes, or clicking OK.

The first time you connect to workshop.colorado.edu you will be asked a question similar to:

The authenticity of host 'workshop.colorado.edu (128.138.139.65)' can't be established. ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:7aZtwMf1EfXZEnGYY3bpUErTdLh1LJ3Yq8ka6Zkc53Q. Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

The SSH client is asking you to verify the key fingeprint is the unique fingerprint of workshop.colorado.edu. There are several different types of keys, and depending on the SSH client used, a different key might be presented. The key fingerprint table lists all of them.

SSH key fingerprints for workshop.colorado.edu
Key SHA256 Fingerprint
ECDSA 7aZtwMf1EfXZEnGYY3bpUErTdLh1LJ3Yq8ka6Zkc53Q
ED25519 UM89YHOoZlP6vM4Yj0qNg+zx9+POszYjHkMxGjoOO6k
RSA NT4QhsECMPAOEjl9RtMy9zitUkpmgaqpghKKALI8zM8
Key MD5 Fingerprint
ECDSA 11:9f:ff:24:a5:e1:fc:7a:a6:ee:46:ec:d6:bd:7a:e3
ED25519 18:b5:de:b0:93:d1:9f:b8:b2:06:44:83:bb:5b:64:dc
RSA fe:73:d6:67:e3:93:d7:09:54:a5:2e:0d:25:bf:49:48

RStudio Server

RStudio Server is an R development environment that is accessed with a web browser. All of the R based practicals will be done with RStudio Server running on the Workshop computing cluster. RStudio can also be used to edit and view files on the Workshop computing cluster.

  1. Using a computer with an up to date web browser, go to
  2. Login with your provided username and password, or your new password if you changed it


RStudio authentication page


RStudio page


Using RStudio to create an empty text file