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Tutorial 04

Lee Burton edited this page Jul 13, 2025 · 2 revisions

🌐 Connecting to Other Computers

To connect to another computer over the internet, you need two things:

  • Its address (like a URL or IP)
  • A valid user account on that machine

We have access to a server hosted by Tel Aviv University (TAU), which we use for large or long-running calculations. Let's learn how to connect to it.


🔌 Connecting to the TAU Cluster

To connect to computers on the TAU network, you must first connect to the TAU Virtual Private Network (VPN).

📘 TAU VPN setup instructions:
👉 https://computing.tau.ac.il/helpdesk/remote-access/communication/vpn

Once you've installed and connected to the VPN, return to your Linux terminal.

We’ll use the ssh command — short for Secure Shell — to connect securely to the server.

$ ssh your-username@powerslurm-login.tau.ac.il

You will be prompted to enter your TAU password (the same one used for your TAU email and services).


🔐 Setting Up a Passwordless Connection

Normally, you have to enter your password each time you connect. But once the VPN is active, you can set up SSH key-based authentication to log in without typing your password every time.

Step 1: Generate an SSH Key

On your local computer, run:

$ ssh-keygen -t rsa
  • When prompted for a file to save the key, press Enter to accept the default.
  • When prompted for a passphrase, you can leave it empty and press Enter twice.

This creates a public/private key pair in your ~/.ssh directory.

Step 2: Copy Your Key to the TAU Server

Run:

$ ssh-copy-id your-username@powerslurm-login.tau.ac.il

This command will copy your public key to the TAU server and allow passwordless login.

✅ Next time you run:

$ ssh your-username@powerslurm-login.tau.ac.il

you should connect without entering your password, as long as you're connected to the VPN.


🎉 Congratulations!

You’ve successfully learned how to connect to the TAU server — both with and without typing your password every time! 🧠💻

➡️ Now you're ready to learn how to send and receive files in Tutorial 5

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