Knowledge Base

Software on the RACC2

Introduction

This article collects information on some of the most commonly used software and packages on the RACC2. This page is a work in progress and we will keep adding more articles in due course. If you experience any issues with software on the RACC2 or would like to make any suggestion about new information to be added to this page, please contact us via the Self Service Portal.

 

Accessing software on the RACC2

Many packages and software on the RACC2 can be accessed directly from command line with no extra setup. All other available software is accessed via the ‘module’ command. More information can be found in our ‘Accessing Software on the Cluster’ article.

 

Python environments

There are a number of shared python environments on the RACC2. When you load the anaconda module, you’ll notice that the (base) environment gets sourced, which is the default python environment with all core packages and dependencies.

You might want to install and use specific packages that aren’t installed in our shared environments. In this case, you’ll need to create your own python environment, which you can fully customise to your needs. Information on how to do this can be found in our ‘Python on the Academic Computing Cluster’ article.

 

JupyterHub

On RACC2, JupyterHub via a web browser is used to access JupyterLab, a modern interface for working with code, data, and documents — including Jupyter Notebooks, which are interactive documents used for data analysis, scientific computing, and software development. For more information, please see our documentation on ‘JupyterHub on RACC’.

 

VS Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft that supports a wide range of programming languages and development tools. It includes features such as syntax highlighting, debugging, Git integration, and a vast extension marketplace to enhance productivity. While we do not provide support for setting up or using VS Code, comprehensive guidance is available on the VS Code website.

For experienced users who wish to connect to RACC2 using VS Code:

  • On-campus (Ethernet) or via VPN: Connect directly to racc-vscode.rdg.ac.uk
  • Off-campus (including eduroam): Connect via a jump host using arc-ssh.reading.ac.uk as a proxy to reach racc-vscode.rdg.ac.uk

Please only connect to the dedicated endpoint racc-vscode.rdg.ac.uk and not to racc.rdg.ac.uk! VS Code connections to racc.rdg.ac.uk do not receive a proper session on a login node and instead remain on the gateway server. This server is not designed to handle high-memory processes, resulting in frequent overloads and disruptions to the service. VScode connections to racc.rdg.ac.uk are at high risk of being terminated without notice to prevent RACC2 outages. 

 

 

R and RStudio

in preparation

 

Matlab

in preparation

 

 

 

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