How Do I...

• Forwarding Mail
• Installing Matlab
• Mapping Your M: Drive
• VPN (Virtual Private Network)
• Changing Your Password
• Obtaining a CEMS Account
• Wireless Connectivity in Votey Hall
• Personal Web Page
• Recovering Files from Backup

If you think there is something missing from this How To page, please drop us a note. We will answer you directly or put the information here (or probably both).

Installing Matlab

Instructions for installing Matlab and using it from off campus:
If you are installing from off-campus, you must be runinng UVM's VPN (http://sslvpn.uvm.edu)

Install on a PC
Install on a Mac
For off campus use, our license requires that you be running the VPN -- http://sslvpn.uvm.edu

Updating Matlab license file

Sidney, the current matlab license server is 12 years old and will likely fail in the not too distant future. We have configured and are using a new license server. The links below show you how to update your license file to use the new server. The old license server will stop serving Matlab licenses on July 1, 2012.

Update a Mac

Forwarding Mail

Everyone at UVM has an email address that ends with "@uvm.edu". Typically, that address is "netID@uvm.edu" or "Firstname.Lastname@uvm.edu". The netID name is usually your first initial, followed by the first seven letters of your last name, but there are lots of exceptions. If you don't know your netID or know that you have not yet activated it, you can determine your netID or activate it at http://www.uvm.edu/account. You will need your UVM ID card in hand because it asks you for some information from it. The colloquial name for your netID is your "zoo account". It is called "zoo" because all the machines are named after animals. (The mail server is called "woodchuck").

As a CEMS affiliate, you have another UVM account here at CEMS and therefore two UVM email addresses. Your CEMS email address is typically "username@cems.uvm.edu" where "username" (your CEMS username) is usually your first initial, followed by the first seven letters of your last name, but again, there are plenty of exceptions. To determine your CEMS account information, you must stop by IN PERSON at 233 or 235 Votey Hall, and bring a photo ID. We do NOT, under any circumstances, give out account information or passwords by mail, email or phone.

Since you have two email accounts, it will behoove you to forward all the mail from one to the other, because you will receive mail at both addresses. Which mailbox ends up as the final destination, is simply a matter of preference.

To forward your mail from zoo to CEMS, go to http://www.uvm.edu/account. About half way down is a link to "Handle mail forwarding". You must already have a zoo account and know the password to get to the next page, which contains a box to type in your forwarding address. You can forward to any real address, but if consolidating your UVM mail is your quest, use "username@cems.uvm.edu" in the box (without the quote marks). (Note: substitute your real CEMS username instead of typing in literally "username").

To forward all your CEMS mail to zoo, you must either telnet or ssh to a Unix machine called "squall.cems.uvm.edu" and issue the command "fmail" (without the quotation marks). It will ask you for the forwarding address, and set all the appropriate permissions to make forwarding work. All Windows machines come with a telnet program, however we recommend that you use an ssh client instead. Ssh (Secure Shell) uses encryption so that data traveling over the network (such as your password) cannot easily be "sniffed out" by evil-doers. A Secure Shell Client can be obtained at: http://www.uvm.edu/software.

Note that any mail already received prior to you setting up mail forwarding will not be forwarded automatically. It will stay right where it is until you do something with it.

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Mapping Your M: Drive

All data on all computers is stored on "drives". Your local hard drive is probably a "C" drive, and you probably have a CD drive that Windows sees as a "D" drive. All Windows drives are given a letter of the alphabet. "A" and "B" were assigned to the floppy drives on early PCs. Many PCs now come with either one floppy drive, or none, but the main hard drive has remained the "C" drive. If you have a Mac, these drives are knows as "volumes", and how to mount (map) your personal volume is discussed later in this document.

Modern-day personal computers come with the ability to map network drives. This means the data physically lives on another computer, but the computer you are sitting at is tricked into thinking the data is on a local drive. At CEMS, you are allowed to have data stored on a private network drive. By "private" we mean that no else has access to it unless they know your password. (By the way, giving your password to ANYONE, is strictly prohibited).

Of course, every network drive must be assigned a letter of the alphabet, and which letter you choose is up to you. At CEMS, we use "M". Why we use "M" is anybody's guess. My guess is that it stands for "Mine". If you log into one of the computers in one of our labs, it will automatically map your "M" drive. Your "M" drive is a great place to put important files because it is accessible from anywhere in the world, and furthermore, we back it up every (that's EVERY) night.

So how do you map your "M" drive if you are not in the lab? The answer is that there are several ways, but we'll just give you the quickest way. In all cases, if you are off-campus, you must first run UVM's VPN software, or the connection will be blocked. Obtaining and running VPN is discussed later in this document.

Windows XP/Vista/Seven. Click on the "Start" button, and a small menu will appear. One of the items is "My Computer". (In Vista and Seven it is just "Computer"). Right click "My Computer", and another small menu will appear. It will have an item "Map Network Drive". Left click on it. A dialog box will pop up asking for a drive letter and folder. Again, the letter of the alphabet is not relevant at all, but you should use "M" to be consistant. In the folder box, enter (without the quote marks) "\\fs1.cems.uvm.edu\username" and substitute your real CEMS username. A dialog box will pop up asking for your username and password. Use your CEMS username and password. Windows Vista and Seven users must make a minor registry modification for this to work, which is explained here: http://www.cems.uvm.edu/mapdrive.

Windows 2000. You should have a "My Computer" icon on the desktop. Right-click on it and another small menu will appear. It will have an item "Map Network Drive". Left click on it. A dialog box will pop up asking for a drive letter and path. Again, the letter of the aphabet is not relevant at all, but you should use "M" to be consistant. In the path box, enter (without the quote marks) "\\fs1.cems.uvm.edu\username" and substitute your real CEMS username. A dialog box will pop up asking for your username and password. Use your CEMS username and password.

Windows 98/ME. First, you must already be logged on to the machine using the EXACT same name and password as your CEMS name and password. There is no way to change identities on-the-fly such as in WinXP or 2000. That said, you should have a "My Computer" icon on the desktop. Right-click and another small menu will appear. It will have an item "Map Network Drive". Left click on it. A dialog box will pop up asking for a drive letter and path. Again, the letter of the aphabet is not relevant at all, but you should use "M" to be consistant. In the path box, enter (without the quote marks) "\\fs1.cems.uvm.edu\username" and substitute your real CEMS username.

MasOS X. Click in the background area of the desktop. This will put you in the Finder. The Finder has a menu item "Go", and when clicked drops down a submenu, and has an item "Connect to Server". That will pop up a dialog box that has a place to type in the "Server Address". Type in cifs://fs1.cems.uvm.edu/username except substitute your real CEMS username. Another dialog box will pop up asking for your username and password. The username will probably be already filled in. (with CAPITAL letters, but that's OK). Enter your CEMS password, and the volume will be mounted.

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VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Most incoming network traffic is blocked as a security measure and that includes drive mapping. So, if you are off campus, and want access to your "M" drive, you must first run VPN. VPN provides a "tunnel" and gives you access to the UVM network just as though you were on campus. VPN can be obtained at: http://www.uvm.edu/software. Don't forget you have to RUN it. Some people have been known to download it, and ask why it doesn't work. Or they download it and install it, and it doesn't work. You have to RUN it. When you run it, you have to click on "Connect". If it is working properly, it will pop up a dialog box asking for username and password. Use your zoo name and password.

The installation of VPN is easy. You download the install program, and run it. Take all the default answers. Once you have installed it, you should see it on the menu system as "University of Vermont VPN Client". That is the program you have to run every time you want VPN access.

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Changing Your Password

As strange as this sounds, we maintain two password databases. The "main" password database, contains an encrypted password that is used to authenticate you in the vast majority of instances, such as Unix authentication when you log in, Windows authentication when you log into one of the labs, and web login when you attempt to access the secure area of our web site. You can change this password by logging onto any Unix machine in the CEMS domain and entering the command (without the quotes) "yppasswd". It will prompt you for your old password, then prompt you for your new password, and finally prompt you for your new password again. Your keystrokes will not be echoed to the screen as a security measure in case somebody is sneaking a peek. This is why the new password has to be typed in twice.

Now, what about the second password database? That is a database of passwords that authenticate you when you map your "M" drive (see above). There is only one method to change this password (OK two really). This one method is to log into a PC in one of our labs (206, 229, or 246 Votey Hall), and press the key combination Cntl-Alt-Del. Press and hold the Control key, then press and hold the Alt key, and then press (while still holding Control and Alt) the Delete key. This will cause a dialog box to pop up, and one of its choices (buttons) will be to change your password. Click on the change password button, and it will pop up another dialog box where you type in your old password, and your new password twice. This will make the change in both password databases. The other way to change this second password, is to start by changing your password on a Unix machine with yppasswd, and then simply log on in one of the labs. That will push your new password over to the second database.

Why don't we automatically keep these two databases in sync? We can't.

If you have forgotten your password, you have no recourse other than to show up IN PERSON at 233 or 235 Votey Hall, and we will change your password for you. Bring a photo ID. We do NOT, under any circumstances, give out account information or passwords by mail, email, or phone.

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Obtaining a CEMS Account

Only those people directly affiliated with CEMS are entitled to an account. To qualify as affiliated, you must be employed by CEMS, be a full-time student enrolled in CEMS, or be taking a class wherein the professor requires computer use for the completion of the course.

Student accounts are made automatically. We query the the registrar's database every night, and make accounts as needed. First-year students are given their password at orientation.

Faculty and staff accounts are created when requested by the employee's supervisor, and the password is given in person at 233 or 235 Votey Hall. We do NOT, under any circumstances, give out account information or passwords by mail, email, or phone.

Class accounts for those students NOT enrolled in CEMS, but are taking a course in which the professor requires computer use, are created only at the behest of the professor. If you are a professor who needs class accounts, go here.

Faculty, Staff, and exceptions. Employees (faculty/staff) accounts are not made automatically, and must be requested. Employers may request an account here. Occsionally, there is a reason for a person to require a CEMS account who does not fall into any of the approved categories. These are handled on a case-by-case basis. You may request such an account here.

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Wireless Connectivity in Votey Hall

To connect to the wireless network, you must have a computer with a wireless network adapter, and install VPN. Instructions on how to obtain VPN are here. The bare minumum hareware requirement is a wireless adapter which supports the 802.11b protocol. Most adapters which support 801.11g (which is faster) also work, but some do not. Without VPN running, you will probably see a wireless network called "CATS Paws", but unless you have VPN running, you cannot use it. If you are in that Catch-22 position of needing VPN, but you need VPN to obtain VPN, stop by 235 Votey Hall. We have it on CD, or thumb drive.

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Personal Web Page

As a CEMS affiliate, with a valid CEMS account, you are entitled to have a personal web page, which the outside world will see as "http://www.cems.uvm.edu/~username", except change "username" to your real CEMS username. To create a personal page put the file in the public_html folder on your "M" drive and name it "index.html". How to create a page is beyond the scope of this discussion.

Web page not working? So you've created a page and it doesn't work! If your message is: Forbidden - It means you have not set the permissions properly (a common mistake since the default is to create files which only YOU can read). You must log onto squall.cems.uvm.edu and enter the command "webopen" (without the quotes), which is a script of permission commands and opens your entire public_html folder to the world. Other problems can arise, such as syntax errors in your page. Most are beyond the scope of explanation here, but send us mail, or drop by in person (room 233 or 235 Votey Hall) and we may be able to help.

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Recovering Files from Backup

At this writing there is no way for users to recover their own backed-up files. If you need files recovered from backup, send mail to help@cems.uvm.edu. We will need to know where the file was. Do your best to give us that information. The files on your "M" drive are backed up nightly. Files deleted on the same day they were created are gone forever.

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