News on C&CZ News

Uncloud for docker cluster management

Miek Gieben — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:58:00 +0200

Some time ago C&CZ experimented with remotely managing docker containers. This turned out to be a success and a failure. A success because it filled a niche, and a failure because we had not thought through all the security implications.

We are currently looking at launching a new system for managing containers called Uncloud. The security boundary for this will be a virtual machine. I.e. we supply you with a virtual machine with Uncloud running and you and your colleagues can control it using the Uncloud tooling.

Maple new version Maple2026

Arnoud Thörig — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Maple, Maple2026, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

Science Mail Technical Update

Arnoud Thörig — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Technical update for mail‑domain DNS administrators

What and why we are doing this

With the new setup we are renaming our mail‑component servers so that their names reflect the function they perform in the mail chain.

This change has no impact on end users, but it makes troubleshooting and future feature implementation easier because we can immediately identify the machine involved.

First step

We have renamed mx3 to inboundmx3. Because this is essentially only a DNS change, we have also updated all MX records we manage. Domains for which we provide mail but do not control the DNS must be updated by their own administrators.

Self-hosted Jitsi update

Simon Oosthoek — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

For a long time, at least since before Covid-19, we have hosted a local jitsi meet installation.

The installation was becoming a bit old and stuffy, so time for a new version and a new name.

Meet is our new jitsi install for general use.
Jitsi Test is our test jitsi install, when we test new features here, so can you.

The *old jitsi will be retired soon, so please go try the new one.

Science Mail Update

Arnoud Thörig — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Enhanced Email Security

We are pleased to announce we have completed the first step in the update to our email system. This will improve the security and reliability of your mail handling. As part of this upgrade, we have introduced new software at the start of our email flow (on the inbound MX servers). This advanced system now evaluates incoming emails to determine if they are legitimate.

If an email fails to meet the required standards or appears very suspicious, it will be blocked at the entry point, in accordance with RFC guidelines for mail transport. This is a crucial first step toward creating a safer and more secure email environment for everyone.

New on-premise LLM service, available for all Science Students and Staff

Miek Gieben — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:12:56 +0100

At the start of this year we installed a high-performance server (512 GB memory, two high-end GPUs). This machine now hosts local large-language models LLMs, meaning the AI runs entirely on‑premise and your data never leaves our network.

What you can do today

Access the web UI at chat.science.ru.nl. Log in with your Science RU username (e.g., jdoe, not jdoe@science.ru.nl).
The service is powered by Ollama and Open WebUI, providing a clean, responsive chat interface.
Early tests show reliable speech‑to‑text (including Dutch) and the ability to review source code. A user experience that feels very close to the larger commercial models, even though we are currently using open‑source models a few generations older.

Current status - experimental

We don’t know how many concurrent users the system can support and how much persistent storage will be required.
No automated backups are in place; please treat the data you store there as temporary.

Uptime is not guaranteed. The service may need to be restarted or the server rebooted when we apply configuration changes or updates.

The setup will evolve as we gather feedback, so your input is valuable.

Which models are available?

Browse the full catalog on ollama.com/search. At the moment we run two modes: gpt‑oss and deepseek-r1 , but others can be added on request. We ran deepseek-r1:671b, but this model is too large for the machine we have.

Science Mail Announcement

Arnoud Thörig — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

C&CZ was the first to implement e-mail (@sci.kun.nl) at the KUN (Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen), some 35 years ago. Some configurations we have used since then have not kept up with the changing landscape of e-mail implementations worldwide. In Dutch there’s a saying for this: “De wet van de remmende voorsprong”.

One of the major things that have changed over time is dealing with SPAM. For instance, there are now protocols that major e-mail players require and therefore became the de facto standard for email communication.

Order services directly on DIY

Miek Gieben — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

A new, for now experimental, feature is live on DIY, where you can “order” services directly by clicking the + on the right side.

Ordering a product.

This includes:

Accounts: temporary logins, new groups, or guest accounts.
Storage: new volumes or cloud endpoints on volumes.
Email: create new aliases and mailman lists.
Contact us: send an email to the helpdesk.

Some services are directly provisioned, for others we still send an email to helpdesk@science.ru.nl where we need to implement the request manually.

HSTS on ru.nl

Simon Oosthoek — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Some websites under science.ru.nl may be inaccessible

Several users have reported that they can no longer access websites such as http://example.science.ru.nl. Browsers block these connections because the parent domain ru.nl now requires HTTPS, while some websites, often served directly from devices or sensors, do not support encrypted connections.

We are working on a general solution and will update this article once it becomes available.

Background: HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

Modern browsers enforce HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to prevent unencrypted HTTP access. Domains can opt in by being listed on hstspreload.org. Once listed, all subdomains must use HTTPS, and browsers will block HTTP entirely.

Mattermost and Gitlab

Miek Gieben — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

For years now Gitlab has bundled Mattermost as an integrated component for online chats, however this situation is changing, and Mattermost has announced that it is dropping support for single-sign-on (SSO). This is turn makes the integration with Gitlab unusable, thus Gitlab is now pondering dropping support altogether.

This is unfortunate timing as we are working on tighter integration between science groups and Mattermost channels.

Provisional Plan

So what are we going to do about this? For chat, we have been looking at Zulip for a while now. This a stand alone, 100% open source chat server that works just like Mattermost. It’s supports OpenID, so we can hook up to diy for SSO.

Overleaf

Miek Gieben — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Over the years we’ve had some requests to run an Overleaf instance for science users. To integrate this well in our environment we would need the enterprise version, which costs about € 8,- per user per month. This is prohibitive expensive for us to run, because we would need to pay for all science users, so we will not be pursuing setting up Overleaf any further in the science domain.

There are alternatives for this setup, they may or may not work for your use case:

Matlab R2025b available

Arnoud Thörig — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2025b, is available. The software and license codes are directly available for Science accounts and can be requested by other entitled users by sending mail to the helpdesk. The software can also be found on the install-share. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, the older version (/opt/matlab-R2025a/bin/matlab) will be available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Cluster maintenance

Simon Oosthoek — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0200

August 5th we had a cluster maintenance day, the next cluster maintenance window will be on February 6th 2026. We will do updates to packages and reboot the nodes. We plan to do this on all cnXXX nodes, mlpXX and comaXX nodes.

We will not upgrade to a new version of ubuntu on this day, if you want your clusternodes to be upgraded, please arrange this seperately with us.

Home servers replaced

Ben Polman — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0200

We have been working on replacing the old home servers home1 and home2 for some time now and a lot of our users have already been moved to the new home servers, home4, home5 and home6.

If you login to dhz.science.ru.nl you can find your home volume path, for moved users this will look like

\\306a2a9df234234123123523c22054dfaf9.home.science.ru.nl\loginname

This path will not change in the future when we have to replace the home servers again. The first part is an alias for one of the new home servers. Every login will have an unique alias for its home path server.

Matlab R2025a available

Arnoud Thörig — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2025a, is available. The software and license codes are directly available for Science accounts and can be requested by other entitled users by sending mail to the helpdesk. The software can also be found on the install-share. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, the older version (/opt/matlab-R2024b/bin/matlab) will be available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

DIY functionality only available with two-factor authentication

Miek Gieben — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0200

As most Science users have enabled their two-factor authentication, we are now going to restrict DIY functionality for accounts without a second factor. If you have not enabled a second factor, you can:

Login into DIY
Set a password
Enable your second factor

All other functionally is disabled and will lead to an ‘Insufficient access’ error. In subsequent versions of the DIY software we will (further) hide actions and listing that you will not be able to use.

lilo9 running ubuntu 24.04, lilo7 turned off

Simon Oosthoek — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Lilo7 was running ubuntu 20.04 LTS (LTS=Long term support). Since the LTS support period has ended for ubuntu 20.04, we have turned off lilo7 on June 2nd, because there are no (free) security updates anymore for this OS release. We will repurpose the hardware for other tasks for the faculty.

We have a new lilo9 with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. We will make this the new lilo on August 1st 2025. Lilo9 will remain available until end of May 2029.

Using multifactor authentication for Science services

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Update 2025-05-20

This has been activated around 11 ‘o clock.

On May the 20th we have enabled mandatory multifactor authentication for the following services:

DIY web site.
Roundcube, for reading mail.
SSH from the internet to public servers, like the lilos.

Below you can read how you can log in for each service.

DIY

Enter your Science login name, your password and the TOTP code from your authenticator app.

If you have configured a Yubi key with us, you can also use the Yubi key’s OTP.

New version of Mathematica 14.2.1

Arnoud Thörig — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (14.2.1) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 14.2.1 includes critical updates for Chatbook and code captions along with other bug fixes and stability improvements.”

Maple new version Maple2025

Arnoud Thörig — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Maple, Maple2025, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

Continued rollout of multifactor authentication for Science accounts

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0200

On the 20^th of May 2025 we are enabling 2FA (second-factor-authentication) on the C&CZ services: DIY, Roundcube and SSH on the login servers.

In this article you can find information on this roll-out and how to activate 2Fa on your Science account.

As mentioned in an earlier news item, we’ve finished the tests and reached the following conclusions:

Anyone with a Science account can enable 2FA in DIY using this procedure.
For about 6 weeks you can enable 2FA in DIY. You must have activated 2FA by the 20^th of May 2025 if you want to use: DIY, Roundcube or SSH on the login servers.

New DIY website live on Thurday March 20th

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0100

After our previous news message concerning the new implementation of DIY, we are now ready to announce:

The new DIY will go live on Thursday the 20th of March.

The previous DIY server will be kept running on https://prev.dhz.science.ru.nl. If there is are things that work in the old one, but not in the new one, please let us know.

The old DIY will be turned off ~~on the first~~ the 11^th of April 2025.

lilo access with managed SSH keys and ip range

Simon Oosthoek — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

We have updated the authentication process for login servers after a succesful test we announced in CPK#1383.

As of now, your ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on lilo is ignored!, instead you can send us your public ssh key (contents of the .pub file) to keep for your account. This change is designed to prevent bad actors from easily gaining persistent access. For convenience we have added the keys we have found in homedirectories that were added or modified after we restricted access to lilo, if your key is from before December 9th, you will need to send the public key to us.

Multifactor authentication for Science accounts

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

At the end of last year we’ve promised an update on how we are planning to make access to our services more secure. In this post we expand on those plans.

In short: we are going to deploy 2FA on Science accounts and make it mandatory for services that are reachable from the internet.

How this all works from an organizational standpoint is, at this point, not complete clear yet. Do we need a “in-person” vetting procedure? Or do we allow users to enable this themselves in DIY? Ideas on this will surface after the test period.

New version of Mathematica 14.2.0

Arnoud Thörig — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (14.2.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 14.2 introduces a powerful tool in Tabular, which provides a very streamlined and efficient way to handle tables of data laid out in rows and columns, with hundreds of other functions enhanced to make use of its special features. Additional new functions and improvements have been added to enhance neural nets and LLMs, work with game theory, improve GPU computation, and expand images and videos.”

Science services behind VPN

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Due to a phishing attack targeting science accounts, and the subsequent abuse of RU mail servers to sent out spam and phishing from valid science e-mail accounts, we were forced to employ a set of defensive measure as evident from cpk/1381, cpk/1382, cpk/1381.

To prevent further abuse (and disruption) caused by compromised accounts, we have had to temporarily restrict access to some science services. These services include:

Anything related to e-mail: Roundcube, authenticated SMTP, IMAP, and POP3.
SSH access to the LILOs (see cpk/1383 for a workaround).
DIY as well as the new replacement.

Email services are now being reopened on a per science account basis. A set of approximately 1,000 accounts has regained normal access. To request access, please contact us.

New DIY website

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

C&CZ has been working to replace the current DIY website to make it easier to add new functionality to it.

This work included a rewrite of the website and a large part of our tooling to the Go language. Taking the Dutch term for DIY (Doe Het Zelf - DHZ) prefixing it with Go, this resulted in the codename “godzilla”.

A pre-release of this new website is running on https://godzilla.science.ru.nl. Note this site is fully functional (modulo bugs), so any changes made there are really being made to your science account. Eventually this version will run on https://diy.science.ru.nl.

Science VPN services to be discontinued

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The Science VPNsec and OpenVPN service will be discontinued as of ~~2024-12-01 (1 Dec 2024)~~ 2024-11-26.

To ensure continued secure access to our network, we recommend transitioning to eduVPN, our officially supported VPN service.

This was first announced in February 2024. If you have any questions or require assistance, feel free to contact us.

New version of Mathematica 14.1.0

Arnoud Thörig — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (14.1.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 14.1 introduces the unified Wolfram application and expands Wolfram Language by offering new tools for working with neural nets and LLMs, for finding differences in content, for working with images and videos, and for exploring scientific evaluations through biomolecules, astrophysics and more”

Hardware repairs

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Recently, the Radboud news reported that students can have small repairs to their laptops done in the RUpair-shop without any labor time being charged.

For students and employees of FNWI, the C&CZ helpdesk provides a similar service. Stefan Reijgwart and Dominic van den Broek in particular are specialists in repairing laptops, among other things.

Matlab R2024b available

Arnoud Thörig — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2024b, is available. The software and license codes are directly available for Science accounts and can be requested by other entitled users by sending mail to the helpdesk. The software can also be found on the install-share. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, the older version (/opt/matlab-R2024a/bin/matlab) will be available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Access network shares via other network protocols

Miek Gieben — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:33:06 +0200

If you use C&CZ storage, you now have the new option to access these via network protocols other than SMB (for Windows and macOS) and NFS (for Linux), namely:

sftp: a secure variant of FTP
https: a (read-only) view of the share for browsers
webdavs: a (read-write) view of the share for browsers and webdav clients
s3: a read/write view using the Simple Storage Service (S3)

Each of these may be active at the same time, and optionally can have an end date, so you can “open up” a share for writes from another organisation which then automatically “closes” at the end date. For sftp, authentication is done via an SSH key. The other protocols are authenticated with a username and password. These credentials are not tied to any person and are easily revoked or re-generated if the need arises.

A bit more spam after ending use of Spamhaus

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The Science mailservice used Spamhaus for decades as one of the blocklists to filter spam in mail.

When we were notified that we would need a commercial license that would cost ca. 5kEUR/y, we investigated how much more spam would come through without the Spamhaus service. This showed that users would get more spam, but most of it would be delivered in the Spam folder. Next to that, we expect that the spam filtering of the also used Exchange Online Protection will improve.

New version of Bookings

Alexander Greefhorst — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Last week, a new version of the Bookings Platform for Scientific Devices has been released.

Together with Emendis, we have given the application a total make-over: not only the look and feel have changed, but also the underlying technique has been revised. From now on, we will use SurfConext for authentication.

We wish to thank all colleagues who helped us to test the new application, and in particular, we thank for all his efforts in the last years.

Science software licenses URL

Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 +0200

All license info, including the license codes, are now readily available for all Science users at the Science license overview page for the Science software managed by C&CZ.

CephFS retired

Miek Gieben — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:05:14 +0200

After the storage downtime of CephFS in our Ceph cluster, we decided together with the users of this service to stop offering CephFS shares through SMB and NFS.

All data has been copied out of CephFS.

We have ended the CephFS service. We will only use the Ceph cluster to store our backups, using the S3 API.

Superchown

Miek Gieben — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:05:14 +0200

We have enabled a service called superchown. This service allows you as a volume owner to change the ownership of files in the volume. Previously, you would need to send an email to make these changes, but with superchown you can do it yourself.

Currently this is implemented as a command line utility that is available on the LILOs. Its manual page has all the details:

man superchown

If you have further questions, or want to use superchown, please send us an email.

Matlab R2024a available

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2024a, is available. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-share. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, the older version (/opt/matlab-R2023b/bin/matlab) will be available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Maple new version Maple2024

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The latest version of Maple, Maple2024, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

NI LabVIEW license prolonged and new version

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The license for the LabVIEW from NI has been prolonged until April 16, 2025. This license is for the versions 2022Q3 and higher, that use a subscription model.

The new 2024Q1 software can be found on the C&CZ Install disc. The license server is:

labview.science.ru.nl:28000

In order to be able to check out a license, names of pc’s and/of users have to be entered by C&CZ in the license server. For remote pcs this DNS suffix has to be added to the IPv4 DNS configuration: science.ru.nl

Lilo: Per User Memory Limit

Miek Gieben — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:15:00 +0100

The Lilo servers are Linux servers for general use, with the caveat:

You can use it just as you like, as long as you do not cause problems for other users.

To help enforce this we are enabling a memory limit of 25% per user. This means a single user on lilo[78] can allocate up to 16 GiB.

Use eduVPN instead of Science VPNs VPNsec/OpenVPN

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

For RU students and employees, the SURF service eduVPN has many advantages over the older Science VPNs: VPNsec and OpenVPN. It’s very easy to install and use eduVPN on Windows/macOS/Android/iOS/Linux and you have access to all Science services that are also available through the Science VPNsec/OpenVPN. We list it on our VPN page as the primary VPN to use.

We advise users of the Science VPNs to move over to eduVPN.

New version of Mathematica 14.0.0

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (14.0.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 14.0 continues to expand the scope and breadth of our computational coverage while streamlining and polishing existing areas.”

SageMath on loginservers and JupyterHub, Digital Security and Math clusternodes

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The free open-source mathematics software system SageMath version 9.5 has been installed on Science loginservers and JupyterHub, Digital Security and Math clusternodes.

The mission of SageMath is to create viable free open source alternative to Magma, Maple, Mathematica and Matlab.

SageMath builds on top of many existing open-source packages: NumPy, SciPy, matplotlib, Sympy, Maxima, GAP, FLINT, R and many more. Access their combined power through a common, Python-based language or directly via interfaces or wrappers.

Large response survey services provided by C&CZ

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

We are pleased that we received 330 completed surveys. Many of these were very positive. Some contained suggestions for improvements or new services. We’ll analyze the results further in the next months.

Short survey regarding the services provided by C&CZ

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

We would like to draw your attention to a short survey regarding the services provided by C&CZ.

We would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to provide us with feedback. Based on the results, we will determine how we can further improve our services for the faculty in the coming years.

Thank you very much in advance for your response!

Note

Policy changes for outgoing email (SMTP)

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

To counteract email spoofing, the following changes are forthcoming, affecting the way email can be sent.

Science SMTP authentication requirement from specific networks

Currently, it is possible to send emails via SMTP without authentication when connected to the campus network. For user devices, it has always been recommended to use authenticated SMTP. Starting from January 8, 2024, C&CZ will no longer allow unauthenticated SMTP from user networks. The first networks for which this policy will be enforced will be Eduroam and VPN.

Maple license continued for 2 concurrent users

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The license of Maple has been continued in 2024 as a 2-user license. All FNWI employees and students are allowed to use Maple. If you want to use Maple, please contact C&CZ.

New A0 poster printer, twice as fast

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Because the old poster printer broke down, we ordered an HP Designjet Z6 44 inch postscript. The new printer is twice as fast, so the speed of service will be even better. See the poster printer page for all details.

New Intel compilers (oneAPI Base and HPC Toolkits)

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The newest versions of the Intel compilers, available under the name Intel oneAPI, do no longer require a license, they are freely available. The 2023.2 version has been installed on C&CZ managed Ubuntu systems, clusternodes with Ubuntu 22.04 and loginservers. When these compilers are available, the module command

module avail

will list among others “compiler/latest”. Then e.g. the Intel C (icc) and Fortran (ifort) compilers can be used after typing

module add compiler/latest

New version of OriginLabPro (2023b)

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:16:00 +0200

A new version (2023b) of OriginLabPro, software for scientific graphing and data analysis, can be found on the Install-disk. See the website of OriginLab for all info on the new version. The license server supports this new version. There is a support contract until August 2026. Departments within FNWI can request installation and license info from C&CZ, also for standalone use. Installation on C&CZ managed PCs is being planned. In case of questions contact C&CZ.

Matlab R2023b available

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2023b, is available. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, the older version (/opt/matlab-R2023a/bin/matlab) will be available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Lilo and stitch will be swapped October 2. Lilo8 becomes lilo

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 23:03:00 +0200

On October 2, the newest login server lilo8, that runs the same version of Ubuntu as the pcs in the computer labs, Ubuntu 22.04, will become the default lilo.science.ru.nl loginserver. Lilo7, with Ubuntu 20.04, will then get tha alias ‘stitch’ for the alternate loginserver.

To prevent warning messages about changed fingerprints, read the page about servers and/or the SSH info page.

Science login accounts automatically disabled when end date reached

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

In accordance with new RU policy, from November 1, Science login accounts will be disabled automatically when the end date is reached. From that moment it is not possible to use that account for C&CZ services.

One month before the end date, the responsible contact person will be notified.
If the end date is only two weeks ahead, the account holder will be notified.
One month after the end date, the account will be removed from C&CZ managed services like the Science mailservice and homedirectory.

It is advisable for contact persons to take a more pro-active approach to maintaining the end-dates of the accounts they are responsible for, to prevent accidental disabling of accounts. Continuation of an account can also be a security risk, so end-dates should not be extended unreasonably long.

New version of Mathematica (13.3.1)

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (13.3.1) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 13.3.1 includes multiple critical bug fixes and improvements to Chat-Enabled Notebook stability and usability.”

Missed RU mail due to stopped external forwarding

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0200

RU mail management let us know that yesterday the forwarding to external (non-RU) mail addresses has been stopped as announced earlier. Unfortunately, mail for several dozens of Science users was/is not forwarded to the Science mailservers. These mails can still be found in MS365 (RU mail), either in the Inbox or in the Deleted Items. RU mail management promised that the forwarding will be corrected tomorrow.

Automatic forwarding from Science mail by employees and students to external addresses has been stopped on August 22.

New 3D printer Prusa MK4 - faster and more precise

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The 3D printservice has been upgraded with the addition of a Prusa MK4.

New version of Mathematica (13.3.0)

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (13.3.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 13.3 introduces new functions that utilize large language models, as well as expands functionality for machine learning, mathematical computations, foreign function interface and more.”

New computer lab pcs in summer break

Tue, 16 May 2023 00:00:00 +0200

During the summer break all pcs in the computer labs will be replaced, because they are between four and seven years old. The new pcs will again be dual-boot, with Windows10 22H2 and Ubuntu 22.04. Lecturers who want to test their Linux course software, can do so on the Linux loginserver lilo8, that has Ubuntu 22.04. The new pcs are Dell Optiplex 7400 All-In-One.

For employees with pcs with older versions of Ubuntu, this might be a good time to upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 too. Please contact C&CZ to schedule the upgrade.

Lilo6 turned off

Simon Oosthoek — Mon, 08 May 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The login server lilo6 with Ubuntu 18.04 has been turned off. Login servers are available during the support lifetime of the Linux version we install on them when a new long term support (LTS) version is released. We always provide current OS versions on the login servers, the version installed on our terminal PC’s is also on the login server called lilo.science.ru.nl. When newer LTS versions are available we also install a new login server.

C&CZ move to ground floor of Huygens

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0200

In the week of April 17, C&CZ will to move to the new offices in wing 5 on the ground floor of the Huygens building. The C&CZ helpdesk will still have an entrance on the main street at HG00.051. See also our contact info.

C&CZ awayday Tuesday March 28

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

An awayday for the C&CZ department is scheduled for Tuesday March 28. C&CZ can be reached in case of serious disruptions of services.

Matlab R2023a available

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The latest version of Matlab, R2023a, is available for departments that have licenses. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, an older version (/opt/matlab-R2022b/bin/matlab) is still available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Maple new version Maple2023

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The latest version of Maple, Maple2023, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

Migration of external GitLab users to Science logins with access only to GitLab

Bram Daams — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Starting March 2023, external GitLab users of gitlab.science.ru.nl will be migrated to Science logins that only have access to GitLab.

Until now, external GitLab logins were created in GitLab itself, separate from the Science login administration. By migrating the external GitLab users to Science logins with access to GitLab only, the management of these logins is improved. The requester (responsible for the Science login) can manage these logins in DIY.

For external user of GitLab that are still required after April 1, 2023, Science logins with GitLab access only can be requested, see Science login requests. Specify which existing GitLab account is to be migrated, then we will link it to the new Science login.

New version of Mathematica (13.2.1)

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (13.2.1) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica.

When connected wired or wireless on campus or through VPN, the software for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the C&CZ Install disc.

During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 13.2.1 includes over a hundred bug fixes, feature enhancements, performance improvements and security updates.”

NI LabVIEW 2022Q3 and higher subscription license

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

There is a new version of LabVIEW from NI.com, version 2022Q3.

NI.com communicated that they will move to a subscription model for LabVIEW licencing starting with version 2022Q3. C&CZ manages a FlexNet license server for LabVIEW 2022Q3, with a limited number of licenses and a deadline in April for extension of the license. Earlier versions of LabVIEW work standalone and unlimited in terms of time.

The software can be found on the C&CZ Install disc. The license server is:

Unlimited Mathematica license in 2023 for RU staff and students

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The license for Mathematica has been expanded temporarily to an unlimited campus license for the whole of 2023: all employees and students may use Mathematica unlimitedly in 2023 on the RU network. For home use, one must therefore use a VPN.

The software can be found on the C&CZ Install disc. During the installation you must specify:

 License server: mathematica.science.ru.nl
 License: L4601-6478

The introductory course “Mathematica Basic Principles: An Introduction” can be taken for free at CANdiensten in Amsterdam.

Network maintenance Huygens, NMR, Nanolab, HFML-FELIX January-April 2023

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0100

RU ILS Connectivity is replacing network access switches in FNWI. This causes short disturbances of network connectivity for wired and wireless systems on several evenings between 19:00 and 23:00 hours for affected wings/locations, i.e. connected to a specific SER (Satellite Equipment Room). For wired network outlets, one can check whether they will be affected by looking at the outlet number (starting with the SER number for affected systems) or visiting FNWI ethergids.

Science Jitsi Meet video conferencing only authenticated

Simon Oosthoek — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Science Jitsi Security

As of January 18th, 2023, starting a jitsi meeting room requires you to authenticate with your science login and password. Guests do not require any authentication once the session is running. Jitsi is a collection of free and open-source multiplatform voice (VoIP), video conferencing and instant messaging applications for the web platform, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android, of which Jitsi Meet videoconferencing is the most well-known.

New version of Mathematica (13.2.0)

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (13.2.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Installation and license info can be requested from C&CZ.

According to the Mathematica Quick Revision History: “Version 13.2 introduces new functionality in astronomy and compilation, as well as substantially enhancing functions for machine learning, trees, mathematical computations, video and more. This release also includes over a thousand bug fixes, documentation enhancements and significant performance improvements.”

Implementation Proofpoint for Science mail

Bjorn Bellink — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Unfortunately, we have recently seen a strong increase in successful phishing attempts in the Science domain, a mailing about this issue was already sent last week.

At the same time, we worked hard in collaboration with ILS to also deploy the centrally used anti-phishing tooling from Proofpoint for FNWI. The central RU mail environment has been supplemented with this highly effective anti-phishing measure for some time now.

As soon as the Science mail domains are also placed ‘behind’ this anti-phishing tool, things will change for users who have not yet had to deal with this. More information can be found on https://www.ru.nl/ict/algemeen/proofpoint/.

Many phishing attempts in the last week

Bram Daams — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Last week we have seen a strong increase in phishing attempts targeting the Science domain. It is notable that these attempts use well-constructed Science environments such as Roundcube that are difficult to distinguish from the real environment. The phishing email often contains something about salary or a payment, which means that it is clicked a lot. C&CZ is doing everything it can to limit the nuisance as much as possible by blocking these phishing emails as much as possible.

Maple new version: Maple2022.2 and license continued

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The C&CZ administered “4 concurrent user” license for Maple has been continued until December 31, 2023. The latest version of Maple, Maple2022.2, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

Manage science accounts via DIY

Bram Daams — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

From now on it is possible to manage Science accounts under your control in DIY. The overview of Science accounts for which you are the contact can be found in the menu “My accounts”.

Each of these accounts has a link to a form where you can perform one of the following actions:

Postpone the check date. This date is used to send reminder emails.
Block the account. Blocked accounts cannot be used to login into systems (like mail, login server, gitlab).
Delete the account. If you delete an account, the account will be blocked immediately and will be deleted a month later.

If the check date of a Science account has passed, a reminder email will be sent inviting you to indicate in DIY what to do with the account. In most cases it is therefore no longer necessary to send a reply to this e-mail.

Donation to free and open source software: Project Jupyter and Mozilla

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

For the majority of the services C&CZ uses free software and open source software. Therefore, some time ago C&CZ decided that each year the employees vote which projects receive a donation from C&CZ. This year Project Jupyter was chosen as new recipient. Project Jupyter is a non-profit, open-source project, born out of the IPython Project in 2014 as it evolved to support interactive data science and scientific computing across all programming languages. C&CZ makes use of it in the JupyterHub for FNWI courses. As a second recipient Mozilla Foundation was chosen, just like in 2021. Many people will know the Mozilla Firefox webbrowser and the mailclient Mozilla Thunderbird and maybe use it hours a day. But the Mozilla Foundation does a lot more to try to ensure the internet remains a public resource that is open and accessible to us all.

New C&CZ website

Bram Daams — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

We have given the C&CZ website a completely new look. The update makes the website usable on smartphones. We will also make it possible to inform staff and students through this website even when all RU services are down. The content of the old site has been transferred. The old website is still available at https://old.cncz.science.ru.nl for the time being. For questions or comments, please contact Postmaster.

Matlab R2022b available

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 23:09:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2022b, is available for departments that have licenses. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, an older version (/opt/matlab-R2022a/bin/matlab) is still available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

AVD/AVS Audiovisual Services for FNWI to central RU location

Bjorn Bellink — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:13:00 +0200

From Monday, October 3, Sacha Djuric and Jelle de Koter of AVD/AVS Audiovisual Services will operate from the RU central location Thomas van Aquinostraat 1.00.22 for all faculties and service departments. The new phone number will be [+31 24 36 12680](tel:+31 24 36 12680). The most frequent picked-up items can then be picked up at the C&CZ helpdesk: adapter cables, beamers for study associations, cables, batteries, remote controls and a a mobile USB camera on a tripod with microphone (e.g. for hybrid education). In case of questions contact C&CZ.

New version of DIY.science.ru.nl

Remco Aalbers — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:05:00 +0200

Today the new version of the C&CZ self service site DIY went live. This version also has a completely rewritten back-end, which allows new functionality to be added in the near future. The main new functionality that is available now, is the possibility of logging in with the Radboud ID (employee number or student number) in order to set a forgotten Science password. In case of questions contact C&CZ.

New version of OriginLabPro (2022b SR1)

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 14:16:00 +0200

A new version (2022b SR1) of OriginLabPro, software for scientific graphing and data analysis, can be found on the Install-disk. See the website of OriginLab for all info on the new version. The license server supports this new version. Departments within FNWI can request installation and license info from C&CZ, also for standalone use. Installation on C&CZ managed PCs is being planned. In case of questions contact C&CZ.

C&CZ day out: Thursday afternoon September 22

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:30:00 +0200

The C&CZ yearly day out is scheduled for Thursday afternoon September 20. C&CZ can be reached in case of serious disruptions of services.

Shredding/destruction of data carriers / hard drives at C&CZ

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 11:29:00 +0200

The Internal Affairs department manages a contract with an external specialized company for the secure destruction/shredding of data carriers. The secure metal container that is used as a temporary cache, can be found at C&CZ as of the new academic year. Employees and students of the Faculty of Science can put data carriers with sensitive data in the container themselves at C&CZ. The C&CZ helpdesk can help recognizing and removing data carriers from desktops, laptops etc.

CCZ moves back to HG03.055

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:43:00 +0200

Because there was too much noise in the new rooms, C&CZ will temporarily move back to the third floor of the Huygens building. We expect that the final move to the ground floor will be in December 2022.

New version of Mathematica (13.1.0)

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:21:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (13.1.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Installation and license info can be requested from C&CZ.

Test of Ubuntu 22.04 on Linux login server lilo8

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:10:00 +0200

As a test of the new version of Ubuntu, 22.04 LTS, we have installed a new login server lilo8.science.ru.nl. In a few months it will replace the four year old login server lilo6. The name lilo, that always points to the newest/fastest login server, will then be moved from the two year old lilo7 to the new lilo8. The new lilo8 is a Dell PowerEdge R6515 with 1 AMD 7502P 2.5GHz 32-core processor and 64GB RAM. Because we enabled hyper-threading, it is showing 64 processors. For users who want to check the identity of this new server before supplying their Science-password to the new server, see the section about our loginservers. Please report all problems with this new version of Ubuntu Linux.

June 22, CCZ will move to HG00.051

Tue, 17 May 2022 15:05:00 +0200

To make room for the expansion of IMM departments, C&CZ will move June 22 to the ground floor of the Huygens building. The C&CZ helpdesk will still be directly accessible on the main street with an entrance at HG00.051.

Maple new version: Maple2022

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 21:39:00 +0200

The latest version of Maple, Maple2022, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

Matlab R2022a available

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 12:16:00 +0100

The latest version of Matlab, R2022a, is available for departments that have licenses. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines have this version installed, an older version (/opt/matlab-R2021a/bin/matlab) is still available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

New version of Mathematica (13.0.1)

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 12:35:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (13.0.1) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Installation and license info can be requested from C&CZ.

Survey computer labs and BYOD

Bjorn Bellink — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 16:49:00 +0100

FNWI asks lecturers and students to fill in a survey about the computer labs. The reason is that the Faculty of Science plans to remodel its teaching rooms in a multifunctional way, with computer labs that use ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD). This means that the existing computer labs (terminal rooms, TK’s) in the Huygens building will be phased out in the coming years. In order to plan the further implementation, we would like to request your input on the current use of the computer labs by means of a survey in order to determine the pace and which alternatives may be needed to replace the various current uses of the current computer labs. The project group will advise the Faculty Board based on this survey and the data from the actual use of the rooms and equipment (laptops and PC’s).

New version of Mathematica (13.0.0)

Ben Polman — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:15:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (13.0.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows, Linux and macOS can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Installation and license info can be requested from C&CZ.

Malicious network traffic will be blocked

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 16:13:00 +0100

In the process of handling the Log4Shell vulnerability, it was decided to use the Intrusion Protection of the FortiNet firewall for all RU network traffic. Don’t hesitate to contatc us if you experience drawbacks.

Yearly backup during Christmas break

Erik Visser — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:57:00 +0100

Just like every year during the Christmas break, in the next weeks a full backup of many servers/filesystems onto tape will be made, that is preserved a long time. This will have the effect that servers will sometimes react slower during this period.

GitLab Pages installed

Bram Daams — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:29:00 +0100

C&CZ recently installed a GitLab Pages server. With GitLab Pages, you can publish static websites directly from a repository in GitLab. To publish a website with Pages, you can use any static site generator, like Hugo, Harp, Mkdocs, or Hexo. You can also publish any website written directly in plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. More info and documentation in the GitLab Pages documentation

Maple new version: Maple2021.2 and license continued

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:24:00 +0100

The C&CZ administered “4 concurrent user” license for Maple has been continued until December 31, 2022. The latest version of Maple, Maple2021.2, for Windows/macOS/Linux can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster.

GitLab Docker Container Registry service enabled

Bram Daams — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:50:00 +0100

In the C&CZ operated GitLab service, GitLab Docker Container Registry service has been enabled. For more information, please have a look at the GitLab documentation.

Ceph data storage expanded

Wim Janssen — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:06:00 +0100

Since the end of 2019, C&CZ offers Ceph as a choice for data storage, next to the traditional RAID storage on individual fileservers. Because demand for Ceph storage is rising, the Ceph storage has been upgraded from 1.8 PiB to 2.8 PiB gross. With this upgrade, storage servers have been placed in a central RU datacenter, so the Ceph storage is now distributed over three datacenters. If you want to try whether Ceph suits you, please contact C&CZ.

BitTorrent traffic will be blocked

Simon Oosthoek — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 09:59:00 +0100

Because BitTorrent is considered to be a security risk (malware/reputation damage) and the traffic primarily consists of illegal downloads, the RU Security Operations Center (SOC) proposed to block this type of traffic from the RU network. Should this cause problems for research or education, we would like to hear from you, so we can notify the SOC and perhaps request an exception.

Donation to free and open source software: Mozilla

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:38:00 +0100

For the majority of the services C&CZ uses free software and open source software. Therefore, some time ago the idea emerged that the C&CZ employees would vote each year which projects would receive a donation from C&CZ. This year the Mozilla Foundation was chosen. Many people will know the Mozilla Firefox webbrowser and the mailclient Mozilla Thunderbird and maybe use it hours a day. But the Mozilla Foundation does a lot more to try to ensure the internet remains a public resource that is open and accessible to us all.

Peage: workaround for PrintNightmare

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:58:00 +0200

C&CZ has a workaround that one can try if on a self-managed/BYOD Windows pc one has problems printing due to the RU Peage PrintNightmare issue. This workaround can be found at the C&CZ Peage page.

National Instruments LabVIEW Spring 2021 on Install network share

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 11:59:00 +0200

To make it easier to install NI LabVIEW for departments that participate in the license, the newly arrived “Spring 2021” version has been copied to the Install network share. Install media can also be borrowed. License codes can be obtained from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster. For macOS/Linux this version is necessary, for MS Windows one can also install LabVIEW from the NI website.

FNWI network cable administration by ISC networks

Bjorn Bellink — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:15:00 +0200

As of October 11, 2021, C&CZ will transfer the management of the fixed data connection points (network outlets, switch ports) in the Faculty of Science buildings (Huygens, Mercator, HFML/FELIX, Goudsmit, Proeftuin) to ILS networks. This concerns both activating/deactivating an outlet (patching) and adjusting settings or solving malfunctions. Taking care of the IP addresses (DNS/DHCP) and the shielding/security by means of Access Control Lists will remain with C&CZ. All requests and malfunctions relating to data connection points can therefore be addressed to the Helpdesk of the ISC as of October 11.

Matlab R2021b available

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 14:10:00 +0200

The latest version of Matlab, R2021b, is available for departments that have licenses. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines will soon have this version installed, an older version (/opt/matlab-R2021a/bin/matlab) is still available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

BigBlueButton videoconferencing updated

Simon Oosthoek — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 15:40:00 +0200

The experimental BigBlueButton videoconferencing website has been moved and updated. The new URL is https://bigbluebutton.science.ru.nl/ , you can create your own login, or use the one you had on https://bigbb.science.ru.nl, which is being redirected to the new site. The status remains “experimental”; without warranty.

AVS Science now part of AVS Radboud

Bjorn Bellink — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 13:02:00 +0200

As of October 1, the Science AVS will be merged with Radboud AVS. This reorganization is a result of the improvement programme of facility management and real estate, with bundling of similar services on campus. This bundling creates a campus-wide AV service that will be controlled in its entirety by Campus & Facilities. For FNWI users, the existing contact options (email, telephone) and availability of local support will be continued for the time being in accordance with the existing situation. There will be further communication about any changes in the future. The AVD Faculty of Science resorted under C&CZ since January 2018.

Major RU network maintenance October 9 08:30-15:00

Wim Janssen — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:42:00 +0200

ISC network announcement.

Saturday October 9, between 08:00 and 15:00, major RU network maintenance will be carried out. During the maintenance window there will be interruptions of maximum 15 minutes. For the FNWI buildings, the maintenance will end 15:00 hours, for the other RU buildings, it might continue until 19:00 hours.

PCs in Study Area and Library of Science

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 16:47:00 +0200

Since the summer of 2021, the computers in the Faculty of Science Study Area (HG00.201) and the Library of Science (HG00.011) are no longer being managed by C&CZ, but by the ILS. makes all Windows computers in all RU Study Areas and Library locations uniform. General information about the Library of Science (such as opening hours and reservation of a study place), can be found at the Library of Science website. In addition to these Windows-only computers, eight Linux computers, that are managed by C&CZ, are available in the front of the Study Area (HG00.201).

Job offer systems developer/administrator research and education

Bjorn Bellink — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 23:50:00 +0200

C&CZ is looking for a new colleague: systems developer/administrator research and education. For more info see the RU job offer page.

Expansion of Science datacenter to Forum building

Simon Oosthoek — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 11:18:00 +0200

Because FNWI research groups are increasingly purchasing powerful computers/computing clusters with many CPUs and GPUs, C&CZ has expanded the data center to the existing server room of Radboud Services, in the Forum on the other side of Heijendaalseweg. As a result, there will be sufficient physical space, power and cooling for the servers purchased by departments in the coming years.

New version of Mathematica (12.3.0)

Sun, 23 May 2021 15:27:00 +0200

A new version of Mathematica (12.3.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows and Linux can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Departments that take part in the license can request installation and license info from C&CZ.

Mailman lists sender address change: from sender to list address

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 11:22:00 +0200

DMARC is increasingly being used as a spamfilter, checking whether the sender ought to send mail via this route. To comply with this for mail sent through Mailman, we will change the From: sender address to the list address. The current:

> From: Some User <some.user@somewhere.domain> > Sender: "listname" <listname-bounces@science.ru.nl>

will be changed to:

> From: Some User via listname <listname@science.ru.nl> > Reply-To: Some User <some.user@somewhere.domain> > Sender: "listname" <listname-bounces@science.ru.nl>

If you filter or forward mail automatically, you might need to change the filter.

Linux login server lilo5 decommissioned

Simon Oosthoek — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 11:10:00 +0200

The support for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS ends on April 30th, 2021. Therefore we will turn off lilo5 with this version of Ubuntu on May 1st, 2021. The default login server (lilo.science.ru.nl) points to lilo7 with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, but lilo6 with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS will remain available until support for this version ends in 2023. The signatures of the C&CZ loginservers can be checked. Please also check these tips for improving your SSH settings tips for improving your SSH settings.

Maple new version: Maple2021

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 18:01:00 +0200

The latest version of Maple, Maple2021, can be found on the Install network share and has been installed on C&CZ managed Linux computers. License codes can be requested from C&CZ helpdesk or postmaster by departments that take part in the license.

Windows 7 computers disabled in B-FAC domain

Wim Janssen — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 10:22:00 +0100

Because of security issues the last remaining Windows 7 machines wil be disabled, effective 24-03-2021, as member of the Active Directory Domain B-FAC. Please upgrade these computers to a more up-to-date OS. See also previous announcements on Windows 10 and the end of Windows 7.

Matlab R2021a available

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 18:36:00 +0100

The latest version of Matlab, R2021a, is available for departments that have licenses. The software and license codes can be obtained through a mail to postmaster for those entitled to it. The software can also be found on the install-disc. All C&CZ-managed Linux machines will soon have this version installed, an older version (/opt/matlab-R2020a/bin/matlab) is still available temporarily. The C&CZ-managed Windows machines will not receive a new version during the semester to prevent problems with version dependencies in current lectures.

Signed SSH keys for loginservers and compute clusternodes

Ben Polman — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 23:53:00 +0100

From now on, C&CZ signs the SSH keys of e.g. loginservers and compute clusternodes. That makes it possible for users, as explained on that page, to add the public signing key in the private .ssh/known_hosts, which makes one trust all C&CZ signed SSH servers. Whenever C&CZ deploys a new ‘lilo’, the question whether this might be spoofing will not occur then.

Site license for Gaussian 16 and GaussView 6

Ben Polman — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 23:20:00 +0100

Organic Chemistry purchased a site license for the use of Gaussian 16 and GaussView 6 with the GMMX Module on Linux. The software has been installed on the cn-cluster. Departments that want to use this, can contact Prof. Jana Roithova or Postmaster.

Major RU network maintenance Saturday Feb. 27 08:00-20:00

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 14:07:00 +0100

The ISC announced that Saturday February 27 08:00-20:00 major RU network maintenance work will be carried out. This will mean that all RU services will be unavailable several times for at most an hour. This concerns all RU services including those of FNWI/C&CZ: e-mail, VPN, wifi, BASS, OSIRIS, Brightspace, Syllabus+, Corsa, etc.

End of Science OpenID service

Remco Aalbers — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:39:00 +0100

The Science OpenID-service, that was introduced in 2007 as authentication method for the wikis managed by C&CZ, will be terminated March 1, 2021. All wikis will be switched over to a more modern authentication method via SAML.

New improved installation methods for Matlab

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:28:00 +0100

The old installation method, used with Matlab R2020b, highlighted several problems for some users. The solution was found in a different installation method. Some users will prefer the new method, others the old one. Each has its pros and cons. The new installation method makes Matlab easy to install, also for older versions and can be done with a small download if you only want a few toolboxes. But it requires signing in at The MathWorks and thus has a more complex workflow. The old installation method does not require registration and has an easy workflow, but it always requires a large download and non-expert macOS users will find it troublesome because the newest macOS version will quarantine the download.

New version of Mathematica (12.2.0)

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:10:00 +0100

A new version of Mathematica (12.2.0) has been installed on all C&CZ managed Linux systems, older versions can still be found in /vol/mathematica. The installation files for Windows and Linux can be found on the Install-disk, also for older versions of Mathematica. Departments that take part in the license can request installation and license info from C&CZ.