When working off-site, it may be important access the critical controls and computing architecture needed to support hutch activities. NoMachine, an application-based tool, and FastX, a browser-based utility, are two different ways to get this access. This brief tutorial walks through some of the basic steps of use.

Before getting started: remote access permissions

If this is your first time ever accessing SLAC's networks, you may need to review the procedure for securing the correct access permissions to the networks needed: Unix account permissions for accessing SLAC networks and remote machines

NoMachine

• Before doing anything, make sure you start with a machine on the SLAC network (you may need to VPN using Cisco AnyConnect) 

• Open NoMachine, start with settings circled in blue
  
  
  

• Make sure you’ve chosen ‘password authentication’
  
  
  

• Select the one called PSNXSERV and then ‘Connect’
  
  
  

• Enter your UNIX password
  
  
  

• Select the session called PSNXSERV and then ‘Connect’
  
  
  

• You will be presented with a terminal window.

  Type the following to tunnel and connect to psdev, which is the main hub for connecting to hutch machines:

  ssh psdev

  Wait until you've connected, then connect to the computer you want (e.g. mec-monitor) using ssh:

  ssh mec-monitor

  From there, for example, you can run MEC Home, MEC Python, VNC Viewer, or whatever!
  (Note that instead of tunneling through psdev to an LCLS machine, it may occasionally be important to access mcclogin and and physics@lcls-srv01 instead for e.g. supporting work at the LCLS-I photinjector.)
  

  

FastX

• Open a web browser and go to the following website: https://fastx3.slac.stanford.edu:3300/
  
  
  

• Log in using your Unix account credentials

  
  
  

• Close the pop-up message
  
  
  

• Start a new session by clicking the ‘+’ sign

  
  
  
• Select 'Terminal'
  
  
  

• Click “Launch” in the bottom-right corner
  
  
  

• You will be presented with a terminal window.

  Type the following to tunnel and connect to psdev, which is the main hub for connecting to hutch machines:

  ssh psdev

  Wait until you've connected, then connect to the computer you want (e.g. mec-monitor) using ssh:

  ssh mec-monitor

  From there, for example, you can run MEC Home, MEC Python, VNC Viewer, or whatever!
  (Note that instead of tunneling through psdev to an LCLS machine, it may occasionally be important to access mcclogin and and physics@lcls-srv01 instead for e.g. supporting work at the LCLS-I photinjector.)

  
  
  

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