Unix Based System Policies
Unix Based System Policies
Hardware Purchases
Linux Systems Purchase Guidelines and Support
Operating System Support
Open Source Software Support
Hardware Purchases
When faculty purchase equipment -- workstations, disks, RAM, printers, etc. --- they understandably want that equipment installed as soon as it arrives, and are often frustrated when that does not happen. Faculty should realize that there likely already many jobs in queue when they make their requests. In order that ARCS may plan for installation of new equipment, faculty should inform ARCS, by sending mail to arcs@njit.edu, of the following, at least 4 weeks before the expected arrival of the equipment:
- detailed description of the equipment ordered
- expected arrival date of the equipment
Linux Systems Purchase Guidelines and Support
NJIT faculty planning to purchase a Linux machine should first consult with Academic and Research Computing Systems (ARCS), arcs@njit.edu, to determine which machine to buy, and to ensure that that machine is Linux-compatible -- this will save all concerned unnecessary trouble.
The versions of Linux upported by ARCS are:
- Scientific Linux 7, Red Hat 7 (summer 2015)
- Scientific Linux 6, Red Hat 6
- Scientific Linux 5, Red Hat 5
- Red Hat Linux 9.0
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 (RHEL)
Operating System Support
Academic and Research Computing Systems (ARCS) supports the following operating systems. ARCS has resources to support only the most recent versions of these operating systems.
- Linux
- MacOS X
Notes on support for MacOS X Systems:
ARCS supports faculty workstations running MacOS X. However, there are currently some important differences in MacOS X bahavior compared to other Unix operating systems supported by ARCS :
- No integrated AFS login
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Due to the way MacOS X handles user logins, there is currently no integrated AFS login, such as exists for the other Unix systems managed by ARCS. This means that the user logs into a local account, rather than to their AFS account, on their MacOS X workstation.
AFS logins to MacOS X will be enabled when NJIT AFS logins are to converted to Kerberos V-based authentication, rather than the current Kerberos IV-based authentication.
- Software installations
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Certain software applications, e.g., Adobe Photoshop, cannot be installed in AFS; they must be installed locally (physically on the workstation) There may be other applications with the same
Other applications, such as Matlab and Mathematica, can be installed in AFS, and function properly from AFS. If the user requires an application which would need to be installed locally, the user will be entirely responsible for the installation and maintenance of that software application.
Open Source Software Support
ARCS strives to keep current the versions of open source software installed in AFS, for all of the Unix platforms ARCS supports. If users are aware of certain software being outdated, or needed software not installed at all, they should contact arcs@njit.edu with the particulars.
In general, obsolete versions of open source software are removed from AFS when the current version is installed. Exceptions to this rule are rare, and made only when there is an overriding reason to do so.