HPRC:Access:Windows

Access from Windows

Using MobaXterm (Recommended)

MobaXterm is an enhanced terminal for Windows with a built-in X11 server, tabbed SSH client, built-in file editor, SFTP functionality, and other useful features. You may download MobaXterm from: http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download.html

You will need to choose which license (free Home edition, or professional) and then select the Portable or Installer edition. The Installer edition works best on your personal machine, when you have the privileges to install software. The portable version may be necessary when using a lab workstation, for example. (Be sure to check if MobaXterm is already installed in the Windows Start menu.)

Configuration

You may create saved sessions for connecting to ada.tamu.edu or other HPRC clusters, for your convenience. See http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html#1_2 for instructions. For example:

IMPORTANT: When asked if you would like to save your password, choose "No" to avoid potential security exploits.

Two factor authentication

1. On the top left corner of MobaXterm window, click 'Session' button.

2. You will be prompted with a window which asks for your session settings.

3. Enter the 'Remote Host' (e.g. ada.tamu.edu, terra.tamu.edu, etc.) you would like to connect to.

4. Select 'Specify', then enter your username (your NetID).

5. Enter the 'Port Number' 22 (the default should be 22).

6. Press enter.

7. You will be prompt to authentication with Duo (either using mobile app, text message or call).

8. If you wish to open the session again, open the 'Session' tab on the left side of the screen and double-click the appropriate session to launch.

File Transfer

1. On the top left corner of MobaXterm window, click Session button.

2. Choose 'SFTP' session type.

3. Enter remote host (e.g. ada.tamu.edu, terra.tamu.edu, etc.) and username (your netID).

4. Go to 'Advanced Sftp settings' and check '2-steps authentication' checkbox.

5. After you select 'Ok', you will be prompted with Duo Authentication method (Push, Call, Text, Second device, etc). Select the appropriate option. Do not type your TAMU password.

Example Duo Authentication methods (You won't see this, it is just to remind you of the format of Duo Authentication options)

Enter a passcode or select one of the following options:

 1. Duo Push to XXX-XXX-1234
 2. Duo Push to iOS
 3. Phone call to XXX-XXX-1234

Your Duo settings will be different

File Transfers

On the left-hand side of the MobaXterm window, different tabs are available. The labels are written vertically. Choosing the "Sftp" tab will display a file tree of the remote machine to which you are connected, such as:

You may choose files to edit with the built-in editor. You may also transfer files from your Windows machine to the remote cluster, and vice versa. Just drag a local file (from a Windows File Explorer window or similar program) to the SFTP file tree on the left side of the MobaXterm window.

Remote Display of Programs with Graphical Interfaces

By default, MobaXterm connections have X11 forwarding available. So, when you connect to ada.tamu.edu or other machine, you should be able to run an X-Windows program by simply typing the command. That will open the program in a new window behind the MobaXterm main window.

Running MobaXterm on Open Access Lab workstations

Verify MobaXterm is installed

After logging in to Open Access Labs (OAL) workstation, click on the magnifying glass to search for an installed program. As you start typing "MobaXterm", matching programs will be displayed on the left-hand side of the screen, above the search field.

Once you have started MobaXterm, click "Start local terminal" (as pictured above in Local Terminal section). You may encounter an error such as the following:

To solve this problem, you will need to change the location of the virtual "root" and "home" directories. At the top of the MobaXterm window in the row of buttons, click "Settings" (the second to last on the right-hand side):

A settings dialog will open. By default, the virtual root and home directories will be set to "_MyDocuments_\MobaXterm\" which lacks proper write permissions for the OAL workstations:

Change both of these by clicking on the current values (with the little yellow folder on the right-hand side). Scroll up to find the "Temp" folder, which is under the "C:" drive:

Once both have been changed, they should look like this:

Once you click "OK", MobaXterm will need to restart to commit these changes:

Installing on Temp Drive of Open Access Lab workstation

Special Instructions

Note: This only applies to an unusual circumstance. In most cases, MobaXterm will already be installed on the OAL workstations. You will not need to do this on your personal computer or any computer for which you have privileges to install the software.

If MobaXterm is not installed on an Open Access Lab workstation, download the portable version and copy the programs to a folder in the C:\Temp folder, i.e., C:\Temp\Moba (you will need to create this folder first). From that folder, run the program MobaXterm_Portable_version.exe to start MobaXterm. Select "Settings" in the top menu and choose "global settings". In the "General" tab of the settings window, specify C:\Temp as the Persistent home directory and Persistent root (/) directory:

Once you have completed this, you should be able to run the portable version from your home drive without error.

File Transfer from Windows

WinSCP

WinSCP is a graphical SCP, "point and click" encrypted remote file transfer client for Windows. It is built on top of a portion of the PuTTY source code. It can be downloaded from: https://winscp.net/download/winscp577setup.exe. After downloading, double-click on the icon to begin the installation. Follow all the steps (it is a typical windows install wizard) and choose the "typical" install option when prompted. It should only take a few seconds to install the package. When done, a WinSCP icon should appear on the Desktop.

1. Double-click the WinSCP icon to start WinSCP. The following window should appear.



Type in the name of the system to which you seek to establish a connection as well as your username and account password for that remote machine. The port number field should contain "22" and the protocol should be set to "SFTP". Next, select the SSH branch from the options tree in the left portion of the window.




2. In the SSH portion of the GUI, AES encryption should be moved to the top by highlighting it and pressing the "Up" button until it is at the top of the selection policy.






3. You can now save the settings you just adjusted by going back to the "Session" branch and clicking the "Save" button to get the following dialogue box: </li

   

4. After this is done, go back to the SSH branch and click the "login" button at the bottom of the window. If this is the first time you have accessed this particular remote machine through WinSCP, you will see the following message:



5. Click "Yes" to proceed. You will then see the following window:



To move to the desired directories, use the navigation bars at the top. The local system is on the left and the remote system on the right. The toolbar at the bottom of the window contains function keys for performing copies, deletes, etc.

6. Let's say you wanted to copy the file "sc08 template.ppt" from the local computer (left window) to the remote computer (right window). Click on the file "sc08 template.ppt" and hit the space bar to select the file "sc08 template.ppt".
7. Now, either press the F5 key or click the icon for "Copy" at the bottom of the window. You will be prompted for a confirmation:



8. Finally, a transfer progress window will appear:

Depending on the size of the file(s) and the speed of your network connection, this could take a anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Many users at TAMU HPRC have very large files. Don't be surprised if a 2GB file takes tens of minutes to complete. When you are ready to disconnect from the remote system, press F10 or just exit from the program.

MobaXterm

On the left-hand side of the MobaXterm window, different tabs are available. The labels are written vertically. Choosing the "Sftp" tab will display a file tree of the remote machine to which you are connected, such as:

You may choose files to edit with the built-in editor. You may also transfer files from your Windows machine to the remote cluster, and vice versa. Just drag a local file (from a Windows File Explorer window or similar program) to the SFTP file tree on the left side of the MobaXterm window.