Accessing the Palmetto Cluster#

Remote login (SSH)#

To be able to run commands on Palmetto from your own machine, you will first need to log in. We will login via SSH which will provide us a shell on one of Palmetto’s login nodes.

For Mac OS X, you can open the Terminal Application (which is usually in Applications → Utilities folder) and run the following:

ssh <your Palmetto username>@login.palmetto.clemson.edu

For Windows, first you need to download and install MobaXterm Home Edition.

It is important that you unzip the downloaded installer prior to installation. The zipped installer file contains an additional data file besides the installer executable. This data file is not accessible if the installer executable is called from insize the zipped file (something Windows allows you to do).

After MobaXterm starts, click the Session button.

Main MobaXterm Windows

Select SSH session and use the following parameters (whichever required), then click OK:

  • Remote host: login.palmetto.clemson.edu

  • SSH-browser type: Enhanced SCP

  • Port: 22

MobaXterm SSH Session

At this stage, for both Mac and Windows, you will be asked to enter your username and password, then DUO option.

Login interface

For MobaXterm, please select No when asked if you want to save your password.

Password saving selection

When logged in, you are presented with a welcome message and the following “prompt”:

[username@login001 ~]$

Let’s enter our first command! Type the command whoami, then press the Enter key (sometimes marked Return) to send the command to the shell. The command’s output is the ID of the current user.

$ whoami