scripts.mit.edu

MIT SIPB Script Services for Athena

Why isn't the 'add' command working?

There are two cases where you can run into this problem: either on Athena, while signing up, or on scripts.mit.edu itself.

The command “add scripts” gives an error

The add command is a standard Athena command to manage lockers. If you’re having trouble getting add scripts to work, check the following:

  • Make sure you’re on a standard Athena Linux or Athena Solaris computer connected to the network, either a workstation (e.g., in the clusters), or a dialup such as athena.dialup.mit.edu.
  • If the prompt does not start with athena% or athena$, try opening a new terminal with the “Prompt” button, or try a different workstation.
  • If you get the error “add: Command not found,” you’re probably missing the login settings files (“dotfiles”), which set up the add command. Try the following:

    1. If you’re on a cluster machine (not a dialup), log out, click “Login Options”, select “Ignore customizations”, and then log in. This should attempt to avoid customized dotfiles.
    2. If this still doesn’t work, you’re probably missing your dotfiles entirely. Check that the files .login and .cshrc are present in your home directory. (These are hidden files, so you will have to use ls -a to list them.) If they aren’t there, copy them (as well as any other missing dotfiles) with the command
      cp /usr/prototype_user/.* ~
      Then log out and back in.

If you’ve determined you’re missing your dotfiles and you’re having trouble restoring them, you can ask IS&T for help.

Adding a locker from a script doesn’t work

scripts.mit.edu doesn’t support the add command, because it’s difficult to make it work correctly outside of the shell. As a replacement, however, the /mit directory is automounted, so using a file in /mit/lockername implicitly attaches the locker. This way, you can run software in lockers by giving its full path, e.g. /mit/moira/bin/blanche for the blanche client.

(The full path of locker software is generally /mit/locker/bin/program or /mit/locker/arch/@sys/bin/program. If you’re having trouble, add the locker on Athena and run type program or which program.

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