Obtaining CS Computer Accounts

Revision as of 02:15, 20 March 2020 by Steve410 (talk | contribs) (→‎Filling Out The CS Account Form)


Here is the process to obtain a CS Linux account for access to the Computers Available on the CS Network.

A CS Linux account provides:

  • A Linux shell and disk space for course work and light research.


NOTES:

  • A CS Linux account is not related to a JHED account. (JHED accounts are part of JHU's own accounts system.)


Obtaining The CS Account Form

You can download and print a copy of the CS Linux/Windows Account Form from our Forms page.

Filling Out The CS Account Form

Once you have downloaded and printed the CS Linux Account form, please fill out the form COMPLETELY, and sign both sides of the form.

You then need to obtain an authorized signatures. See our updates to obtaining signatures in that section, due to most of CS working remotely, as of March 18, 2020.


Additionally, make sure you list your JHU-assigned e-mail address on the account form. Many of our CS mailing lists use that address.

There is a section there for Permanent (non-JHU/non-CS) Email Address. We encourage you to forward your CS account (and perhaps your @jhu.edu account) to your Permanent e-mail address. Conversely, if you decide that your CS address (@cs.jhu.edu) or your @jhu.edu address should become your preferred address, then, forward your other addresses to it.

Under “Local Address”, please list your local resident street address while attending (or working at) JHU.


Indicating Your JHU Affiliation Type

The CS Account form requires you to choose your JHU affiliation.

Grad Student, Faculty/Instructor, Staff, Researchers, or Postdoc CS Computer Accounts
On the CS Linux/Windows Account Form, if you're a CS grad student or CS faculty/instructor, staff, researcher or postdoc, please make sure you've checked off that you want a Linux Grad account, which will supply you with your CS e-mail address and an account to access the Grad/Research Net Linux computers that are supported by CS IT (including the Linux computers in the Master's Lab/Office).
As a CS Grad student or CS faculty member (or instructor), you are entitled to a Undergrad (Ugrad Net Linux computers) account as well, especially if you are teaching or TA'ing a CS Undergrad Course. So you might also want to check off Ugrad Linux. Grad students will probably need a Ugrad account sooner or later. Please remember, though, your CS Grad/Research Net account is your primary account (email, webpage, etc.) And, the Undergrad Net machines are subject to disk quotas.
If you already have a Grad/Research Linux account, and then later, need a Ugrad Linux or Windows account, or both) please fill out the form again indicating which other accounts you need, You'll fill in your current username after the "Already have a CS acct..." line on the form. (It might be helpful to write something along the top of the form indicating "Requesting an additional account.")
CS Grad students (PhD and Masters) should also indicate their expected graduation year on the form next to their student affiliation.
CS Undergrad/CS Minor Student Accounts
If you are a CS Undergraduate studentor CS Minor student, you will need a CS Undergrad Account to access the Undergrad Net Linux computers. (During CS Freshman orientation, you might have already filled out a special Freshman account form we prepared for that day.)

CS Undergrad/Minor students should also indicate their expected graduation year on the form next to their student affiliation.

Note: CS Linux machines have disk quotas. Please remove files you no longer need on your account after you are finished with them.
Class Accounts
If you are provided a class account by your instructor, or if you apply for one yourself, please note that class accounts are up for removal after the semester is complete.
Concurrent Students
If you start as a CS Concurrent Student (grad/ugrad at the same time) or if you were already a CS Ugrad student with a CS Ugrad account and become a Grad student, please make arrangements with CS IT Support to obtain a CS Grad/Research Net Linux account, if you'd like. However, if you do get a CS Grad/Research Net Linux account, your CS Ugrad Net e-mail will no longer be in service (although, you will have access to your old e-mail). You would now have CS Grad/Research Net mail. Your CS Ugrad account, however, will remain while you have a Grad account, until you graduate.
Other
If you're not sure you fit into one of the listed categories on the form, for example "research scientist", please choose "Other" and specify your position within JHU, and a reason you need the account, if applicable. You will still need to get an authorized signature on your form.


Choosing your CS Account Username

NOTE: We do not change CS usernames/accounts once created.
CS Faculty, Instructors, Staff, PhD students, Post Docs, Researchers, and some others: You can generally request your own username. You should request up to three possible usernames, and we will use what we can, depending upon what's available. You can also choose to use your JHED ID as a CS username if you'd like.
CS Ugrad & Masters Students: A CS username will be assigned to you, based upon your current JHED ID.
Non-CS students taking a CS Course: We will assign you a special course-based username for your CS course account. That course account will only be valid the semester the course is taught and will be removed upon course completion.
Others: When in doubt, your can choose to request us to use your JHED ID username as your CS username too.


Signatures

We require three signatures on each account form.

You will sign the front of the form and read and sign the back of the form.

You will also need to obtain an authorized signature as appropriate (and as described on the form.)

This is going to be a bit tricky at the moment, since all operations and CS faculty and staff are working remotely as of March 18, 2020.

So, for the required signatures you see listed below, instead of you obtaining the authorized signatures, on the form, we will take care of that for you. (You just have to get us the form.)

  • CS Grad students: If you don't know who should sign the form, please see Zack Burwell or Revelie Niles. Alternatively, your CS faculty advisor can also sign your form. As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you.
  • CS Undergrads/CS Minors: please see Dr. Joanne Selinski or Kelly Culotta (in the CS Office, MH-160.) As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you.
  • Non-CS student taking a CS class: Please have your CS professor sign the form. Your account will last for the semester. As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you. NOTE: Under the Non-CS Student section, if you're taking a CS course and you list your Course name and #, please also list there your professor's name as well. This will speed up processing.</span
  • New CS faculty/instructors/staff: Please get Laura Graham or the CS Dept. Chair to sign your account form. As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you.
  • Postdocs, visiting faculty, or research scientists, etc.: Please have a CS Faculty Member (or possibly, Laura Graham) sign the form. As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you.
  • Students from other depts that are not associated with CS who are requesting a CS account on our system: You must have a CS Faculty member sign the account form. That CS Faculty member is sponsoring your account. If you're an undergrad student, you would have access to our CS ugrad systems. If you're a grad student, you would have access to our CS grad network systems. As of 3/18/20, we will obtain this approval for you, however, you need to indicate somewhere on the form which faculty member will sponsor your account.

If you have any issues regarding signatures, please email support@cs.jhu.edu to discuss alternatives.



Submitting The Account Form

You have three ways you can submit an Accounts form for processing:

(But first, did you sign both sides and get any authorized signatures?)
  • (Preferred) You can hand in the completed form to someone at the front desk in Malone 160.
  • Or, you can scan both sides into a single pdf. (Remember, you must have all three signatures, yours on front and back and an authorized signature, before you scan.) Then, e-mail it to support@cs.jhu.edu
  • Or, simply "snail mail" it with all appropriate signatures to JHU Dept of Computer Science, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Md 21218 Attn: Steve DeBlasio (By the way, if you have an Android or IPhone/IPad-type of device, the Camscanner app is terrific for scanning and e-mailing a single or multipage document as a pdf.)


Processing your CS Account Form And Receiving Your CS Account

Once the form is handed in, it will be sent to CS IT support.

Please allow at least two business days for your account to be created.

  • After your account is created, you will be contacted via e-mail at one of the e-mail addresses you listed on the form (so, check all of them) by Steve DeBlasio. He will send you instructions for pick-up of the account information.
BE AWARE: If you are expecting e-mail from the CS IT Support team, and if you use Gmail, make sure you check your Gmail Junk folder. Gmail likes to file some e-mails from CS into Gmail Junk folders.
  • You'll meet with Steve DeBlasio in Malone Hall G-61A during his posted office hours (currently, most weekdays, 12:30pm to 2:30pm) to pick up your account during his posted office hours. Please bring your J-Card (preferred) or other form of picture ID.
  • If you plan to access the Ugrad Lab/CS Collaboration room (MH 122), and/or the CS Masters/Ugrad Lab (MH G-61), you will need to have your J-Card registered into our system, and Steve DeBlasio will help you with registering your J-Card into our lab readers at that time.

And finally...

If you have any problems filling out the account forms or have not received notice that your account is ready in a reasonable amount of time (at least 2 business days after submitting the form), please email support@cs.jhu.edu.