========================= SSC News, November, 1993 ========================= Contents: VERY IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ THIS!!! Town Meeting on Future of Nine-Track Tape Drives New SSC publications less Utility Installed on UNIX SSC Training Sessions - Fall Semester 1993 This is the SSC News. This monthly electronic newsletter will keep you informed about recent changes on the SSC computer networks. We hope this information will help improve communication between the SSC computing staff and all of you computer users out there. ------------------------------------- VERY IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ THIS!!! ------------------------------------- The SSC's faculty steering committee (one representative from each of the five sponsoring agencies) feels it is extremely important to institute reliable project accounting on all the SSC's Unix-based computers. Beginning Monday, November 8th, every Unix login will require the user to enter a project code. These are the same project codes that you are used to entering on the VAXcluster and until recently on Unix. We are using new software to do our project accounting on Unix. Its special virtue is that it enables us to merge our Unix and VMS accounting databases and produce reports for the entire network with an excellent tool provided by the software vendor. The software's special weakness at the present time is that it is not yet as well integrated with Unix as with VMS. We are working with the software company to improve the program. In the past they have been extremely responsive to our feedback. Until the company can incorporate our suggestions, however, Unix users must be aware of the following: 1. Your .login file will not be sourced automatically at login. WE RECOMMEND YOU ADD THE FOLLOWING LINE TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR .cshrc FILE THE NEXT TIME YOU LOG IN: source ~/.login If you do not do this, you will have to enter that command interactively after every login in order to produce the interactive Unix environment you are accustomed to. We know this is primitive; we have no choice but to live with it for a while. 2. THE 'logout' COMMAND WILL NOT WORK TO LOG YOU OUT. YOU CAN USE OR TYPE "EXIT" INSTEAD. 3. To remind yourself of the projects for which you are authorized, enter '?' at the 'Project?' prompt when you log in. ------------------------------------------------ Town Meeting on Future of Nine-Track Tape Drives ------------------------------------------------ On December 13th we will hold a Town Meeting on the future of tape drives and data processing from tape in the SSC. Unavoidably, major changes are in store. We want to explain our options and, most important, get our users' opinions on a new tape use policy. All SSC tape users are encouraged to attend and participate. The Town Meeting will be in the Sewell Room (8417 Social Science) from 12:00-1:00 on December 13, 1993. -------------------- New SSC publications -------------------- The following new publications are available for SSC users: How to transport SPSS data sets from VMS to UNIX (How-to #18) How to use GOPHER (How-to #19) SSC publications are available in the racks in the public terminal room, Soc. Sci. 2470. ------------------------------ less Utility Installed on UNIX ------------------------------ less is a program similar to more but better! It allows backwards movement in the file as well as forward movement. Also, less does not have to read the entire input file before starting, so with large input files it starts up faster than text editors. There is a man page on the SunOS machines. ------------------------------------------ SSC Training Sessions - Fall Semester 1993 ------------------------------------------ We still have two training sessions to be presented this semester. Be sure and preregister for any sessions you plan to attend by sending mail to SSCCLASS. You will then be reminded about your preregistration through e-mail a day or two before the class begins. Date Time Topic Room Instructor ---- ---- ----- ---- ---------- 11/10 W 10:00-12:00 WordPerfect for Dissertators 4452 Clear 11/15 M 12:00-1:00 9-Track Tape Alternatives 3432 Lew Descriptions for each of the training sessions listed above may be found in SSCGOPHER. Type "sscgopher" at the command prompt and then pick "5. SSC Classes". TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS NEWSLETTER, just reply to this mail message indicating you want to unsubscribe. We will remove you from the distribution list for future electronic mailings. If you ever change your mind, just notify the SSC Consultant or send mail to SSCNEWS asking to get back on the list.