Docs › Connecting

Connect over SSH.

Everything you need to log in, move data, and reach pages that are only reachable from campus.

Before you start

All commands below assume the default SSH port. If your account was set up on a non-default port, add -p <port> to any command here — check with uhpc@unam.na if you're not sure.

Logging in

Use the SSH key pair you received when your account was approved.

Log in
ssh -i ~/.ssh/unam_hpc_key <username>@uhpc.unam.na

Never share your private key. Report a lost or compromised key to uhpc@unam.na immediately.

Transferring data

Send files to the cluster with scp. Large datasets belong in your ~/data directory on the shared storage rack, not your home directory.

Copy a file to the cluster
scp -i ~/.ssh/unam_hpc_key myfile.dat \
  <username>@uhpc.unam.na:~/data/

Reaching campus-only pages from off campus

Some pages — the H.E.S.S. Paris Analysis documentation and the Namibian WebSummary among them — are only reachable from the UNAM campus network. You don't need a full VPN to get to them: the head node can forward a SOCKS proxy over your existing SSH connection.

  1. Open a dedicated SSH tunnel

    This connection does nothing but forward traffic — leave it running in the background while you browse.

    Open the tunnel
    ssh -D 1111 -f -C -q -N <username>@uhpc.unam.na
  2. Point your browser at the proxy

    In your browser or system network settings, configure a manual SOCKS proxy:

    SettingValue
    SOCKS hostlocalhost
    Port1111
  3. Browse as usual

    With the proxy active, campus-only pages load normally. Switch the proxy off (or close the SSH connection) when you're done.

Where this is used

See Paris Analysis & H.E.S.S. access for the specific campus-only pages this unlocks, including the H.E.S.S. WebSummary (base.hess-experiment.eu, port 8005) and the ParisAnalysis documentation.

If you want a full graphical session instead

For anything beyond loading a web page — running a GUI application, for example — use Remote Desktop (VNC) instead of the SOCKS proxy above.