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A guide to graphical remote desktops at BMRC

OpenOnDemand is now available at BMRC and is the recommended method for HPC resource access. It is much easier than VNC to setup and mange. It allows you access BMRC cluster computing resources via your web browser such as a terminal shell, view cluster job monitoring and applications like Matlab, R-Studio and fsleyes. It functions on desktops, laptops and iPads.
Those less confident of using the terminal command line may find Open OnDemand advantageous.

Access using https://win-ondemand00.bmrc.ox.ac.uk:2000 from FMRIB network or FMRIB VPN. The service is intentionally not currently accessible from Oxford IT services or MSD_IT VPN.

When logging in the password box needs your BMRC password with your BMRC MFA code appended.

 

How to use the legacy VNC service at BMRC

Instructions for connecting to the WIN VNC server on BMRC (win001).

We strongly recomment the use of Open On Demand for remote desktop use. These instructions are kept for historical interest

Set up a VNC session on win001

Log into cluster1

ssh win001
vncserver -PlainUsers <BMRC-USERNAME>

This will give you a session number ':N'. Use this to calculate your port number with this formula.

<PORT> = 5900 + <N>

Set up an ssh tunnel for VNC on win001 to your laptop

ssh -L <PORT>:localhost:<PORT> <BMRC-USERNAME>@cluster1.bmrc.ox.ac.uk -t ssh -L <PORT>:localhost:<PORT> <BMRC-USERNAME>@win001.hpc.in.bmrc.ox.ac.uk

You should be asked for your BMRC username and password (First and Second Factors.

Connect with the client on your laptop

On your laptop, in your TigerVNC client, Connection Details, VNC Server:

localhost:<N>
or
localhost:<PORT>

You will be asked for your BMRC username and password. For the password you will give it your password and your second factor together as a single string (no spaces or separators).