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Sep 25, 2025
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Improve CAEN Linux Tutorial #233

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ssh -T -> ssh
awdeorio Sep 24, 2025
e91bc0f
Two options for copying code: Git or Rsync
awdeorio Sep 24, 2025
ab75857
Remove superfluous rsync commands
awdeorio Sep 24, 2025
6b01c97
Separate ssh connection details from how to compile and run
awdeorio Sep 24, 2025
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109 changes: 45 additions & 64 deletions docs/setup_caen.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ To access CAEN Linux from off campus, you'll first need to connect to the UM VPN
Test an SSH connection. Be sure to change `awdeorio` to your own uniqname.

```console
$ ssh -T [email protected]
$ ssh [email protected]
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@awdeorio awdeorio Sep 24, 2025 •
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ssh -T causes a confusing login without a PS1 on CAEN. It's a great way to test GitHub connections, but not CAEN.

The authenticity of host 'login-course.engin.umich.edu (141.213.74.65)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:LL0GPTtaVGa6gvv2kVpGq4ZULA1l5pw2wXC4dK3ymIk.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Expand All @@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Enter a passcode or select one of the following options:
Passcode or option (1-3): 1
Success. Logging you in...
...
-bash-4.2$
$
```

If you are prompted with
Expand All @@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ Are you sure you want to continue connected (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

Enter **yes**. This is due to CAEN's Linux Remote Login Service changing URLs.

You are now logged in to a *different computer*, `caen-vnc-vm16` in this example. Yours may be different.
```console
$ hostname
caen-vnc-vm16.engin.umich.edu
```

Exit as soon as your test is successful.
```console
$ exit
Expand All @@ -76,11 +82,37 @@ Connection to login-course.engin.umich.edu closed.
**Pitfall:** If you are off campus, make sure you have connected to the [UM VPN](https://its.umich.edu/enterprise/wifi-networks/vpn/getting-started).
</div>

## Copy with `rsync`
Next, we will copy our source code to CAEN Linux using the `rsync` command line program.
## Copy code to CAEN
Copy your code to CAEN Linux. The best choice is Git. If you haven't set up a Git repository, then you can use `rsync`.

### Option 1: `git`
If you have a Git repository, check out a copy of your code.

SSH to a CAEN Linux machine.
```console
$ ssh [email protected]
```

Change to your home directory and `git clone` your repo.
```console
$ cd ~ # This will move to your home directory
$ git clone [email protected]:awdeorio/p1-stats.git
$ ls
p1-stats
```

### Option 2: `rsync`
An alternative is to copy your source code to CAEN Linux using the `rsync` command line program.

<div class="primer-spec-callout warning" markdown="1">
**Pitfall:** Make sure you're in the directory containing your source code.
**Pitfall:** Make sure you're on your laptop, not CAEN linux
```console
$ hostname
caen-vnc-mi01.engin.umich.edu # This is CAEN Linux
$ exit # Exit CAEN Linux
```

Make sure you're in the directory containing your source code *on your laptop*.
```console
$ ls
main.cpp
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -118,19 +150,17 @@ total size is 8818 speedup is 0.90
**Pitfall:** If you are off campus, make sure you have connected to the [UM VPN](https://its.umich.edu/enterprise/wifi-networks/vpn/getting-started).
</div>

## Login with `ssh`
Now log in to CAEN Linux. Your terminal is now a shell on a *different computer*, `caen-vnc-vm16` in this example. Yours may be different. Don't forget to change `awdeorio` to your own uniqname.
```console
$ ssh [email protected]
$ hostname
caen-vnc-vm16.engin.umich.edu
```

## Compile and run on CAEN
<div class="primer-spec-callout warning" markdown="1">
**Pitfall:** If you are off campus, make sure you have connected to the [UM VPN](https://its.umich.edu/enterprise/wifi-networks/vpn/getting-started).
</div>

Notice that the folder copied earlier.
Connect to CAEN.
```console
$ ssh [email protected]
```

Notice that the folder copied earlier. If you used Git, it will be called `p1-stats`
```console
$ ls
p1-stats-copy
Expand All @@ -154,11 +184,9 @@ A good practice is to run a regression test on CAEN Linux. In EECS 280, that's
$ make test
```

Log out. Notice that after logging out, you are back to using a shell on your laptop.
Log out.
```console
$ exit
$ hostname
your-laptop-name
```

## Avoiding repeated 2FA
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -200,53 +228,6 @@ Success. Logging you in...
$
```

Open a second terminal and run an `rsync` command, which uses the new configuration. No authentication is required!
```console
$ rsync -rtv --exclude '.git*' ../p1-stats/ [email protected]:p1-stats-copy/
building file list ... done

sent 273 bytes received 20 bytes 586.00 bytes/sec
total size is 13015 speedup is 44.42
```

<div class="primer-spec-callout warning" markdown="1">
**Pitfall:** Make sure you're in the directory containing your source code.
```console
$ ls
main.cpp
```
</div>

<div class="primer-spec-callout warning" markdown="1">
**Pitfall:** If you are off campus, make sure you have connected to the [UM VPN](https://its.umich.edu/enterprise/wifi-networks/vpn/getting-started).
</div>


## Version control on CAEN Linux
An alternative to copying code to CAEN Linux is checking out a your code from GitHub.

SSH to a CAEN Linux machine and see the copy we made earlier using `rsync`.
```console
$ ssh [email protected]
$ ls
p1-stats-copy # this is from our rsync'ed copy earlier
```

Notice that the copy is *not* under version control.
```console
$ cd p1-stats-copy
$ git status
fatal: Not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git
```

Change directory and `git clone` your repo.
```console
$ cd ~ # This will move to your home directory
$ git clone https://github.com/awdeorio/p1-stats.git
$ ls
p1-stats p1-stats-copy
```

## Pro-tips

### Synchronizing deleted files
Expand Down
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