Accessing the SCRC Systems

Log in to a Terminal Command Line Interface

The most common way to access the SCRC servers is to use a Command Line Interface (CLI) from a terminal application. A CLI is a text-based interface that allows users to interact with a host by entering text commands at the prompt of a terminal application.

The SCRC hosts that you connect to are running Linux. You will use your Stern NetID and password to authenticate to either one of SCRC’s remote login hosts: rnd.scrc.nyu.edu or vleda.scrc.nyu.edu.

If Off Campus, First Connect to the NYU VPN

If you are connecting from a remote location that is not on the NYU network (your home for example), you need to set up your computer to use the NYU VPN. Once you’ve created a VPN connection, you can proceed as if you were connected to the NYU network. 

If you’re on the NYU network already, you can proceed directly with your connection.

Log in From Mac/Linux

Open the terminal application and use the ssh command to make a secure connection to one of SCRC’s remote login hosts. E.g., if your Stern NetID is xy12,

ssh xy12@rnd.scrc.nyu.edu
OR
ssh xy12@vleda.scrc.nyu.edu

Log in From Windows

Windows users have several options:

  • Command Line: Open the cmd program on an updated Windows 10 or later machine. Type the ssh command the same as shown above for Mac/Linux.
  • WSL2: If you run Windows 10 or later, you can install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and then install Ubuntu or other Linux distributions on your machine. You will get a fully functional Ubuntu distribution with a terminal application. Type the ssh command the same as shown above for Mac/Linux.
  • PuTTY: PuTTY is a free and open-source terminal emulator and network file transfer application that supports logging in with the ssh command.

Note: If you are using WSL2, you may not be able to access the internet when Cisco AnyConnect VPN, installed from the .exe file, is activated. A potential solution is to uninstall Cisco AnyConnect and install AnyConnect using Microsoft Store and then set up a new VPN connection using the settings described on the IT webpage.

Getting and using PuTTy

PuTTY is free and can be downloaded from PuTTY Download.  Download and run the latest installer file from the website. Follow the on-screen install instructions. Once installed, start PuTTY, then type rnd.stern.nyu.edu or vleda.stern.nyu.edu in the “Host Name” field and click “Open”. 

Note: The first time you log in a dialog may appear which starts with “The server’s host key is not cached…”.  Click Yes in this dialog.

Type your Stern NetID and password at the “login as” and “password” prompts, respectively. You should now be logged in and see a command line prompt from which you can enter Linux commands or run programs.

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