Introduction

The Computer Science Department maintains a set of computers known as the “TREE Lab” (because all the computers are named for trees) for use in courses that require special software not generally available on campus. The computers all run Windows XP, and using them is much like using an “ADS account” at the college. At the present time, the lab is used for Web Design (CS-081) and Script Programming (CS-090.3) courses, which use the Apache web server and Dreamweaver web programming environment; for Computer Architecture (CS-343), which uses the Quartus II logic design software from Altera Corporation; and Hardware Laboratory (CS-345/780), which uses the DK development environment from Celoxica Ltd.

Accounts and Computers

You can log into any one of the computers in SB room A-205 or A-227 using your account name, which consists of your last name followed by the digits of your course (81, 903, 343, 345, 780), all as a single string. For example, if your name is “Perfect Student” and you are taking CS-90.3, your account name is “student903”. Initially, everyone’s password is the same as the course number, but you will be required to change it to something secure the first time you log in.

The names of the computers and their room numbers in the Science Building are:

SB A-205 SB A-227
birch apple
cherry fir
chestnut juniper
elm mimosa
ginkgo pine
hemlock plum
hickory spruce
peach  
plum  
sycamore  
walnut  

Room A-205 is an “open lab,” which means you can use the computers there any time you want. The secretaries in the CS Department Office (A-202) will open the lab for you if it is closed. Room 227 is a “closed lab”, so you will not be able to sit at the computers in that room to use them. However, all of the computers are accessible from the Internet. If you have access to a computer running Windows XP or Vista with a broadband connection, you can use Remote Desktop to log in. From the Start button, go to Programs, to Accessories, to Communications, and you will find it. When it asks you what computer you want to connect to, pick one of the names above and add the domain name “.cs.qc.edu” to the computer name. For example, you would log into ginkgo by entering ginkgo.cs.qc.edu. (Strictly speaking, there is a “.cuny” in the domain name: ginkgo.cs.qc.cuny.edu, but it works both ways.)

If you are using a Macintosh, OS X comes with a Remote Desktop program you can use in the same way as the Windows version. Under preferences, be sure to set a screen size and resolution to match your computer’s screen. The default value is very low resolution, making it difficult to use.

There an open source version of Remote Desktop at www.rdesktop.org that might be useful if you are running Linux. But I have had no experience with it.

When you use Remote Desktop, try to select one of the computers in A-227 so that students who are on campus will be able to use the computers in A-205. Only one person can use a computer at a time, so if the computer you try is occupied, just try another one until you find one that is available.

Managing Your Account

In addition to the computers listed above, there is a server computer for the lab named Maple. You cannot log into that one directly, but it plays a crucial role in managing your account. Each account has its own “profile,” which consists of all the files and directories under C:\Documents and Settings\[youraccountname]. The very first time you log into a TREE computer, this profile is set up on Maple (this may take a few minutes), and is then copied to the particular computer you logged in to. When you log out of that computer, your profile is copied back to Maple. You can then log into any TREE computer, and your profile will be copied from Maple to that computer, eliminating any need for you to restrict your usage to any particular computer; they are all equivalent.

Be sure to log out of your account each time you finish any work so that your profile gets updated on Maple. And never log into two computers at the same time: the work you save when you log out of the first one will get overwritten when you log out of the second one.

With my “Adminstrator’s” account, I can access your profile on Maple. That means that you never actually send your projects to me to submit them. Instead, just send me a message telling me your project or assignment is ready, and I will get a copy from the server and check it out. In order for this system to work, you must use exactly the directory name specified in the assignment or project web page when you do the project. I will be using a script to get your work, and the script will fail if you did not use the correct directory name. For web projects it is critical that directory and file names have no spaces in them and that you do not change the upper/lower case forms of their names.