Workstations

Linux-based workstations for the UT Dallas School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics are supported by Cyberinfrastructure Research Computing (CIRC).

Our team does not provide support for printers. We will make a best effort attempt to set them up on Linux machines we manage but we don’t troubleshoot the printers themselves.

Supported hardware configuration

Many different hardware configurations are supported. The following table outlines preferred configurations options to consider when purchasing:

Hardware Component

Minimum

Recommended

CPU

Quad-core Intel or AMD (64-bit)

Hex-core+ Intel Core/Xeon or AMD Ryzen/EPYC

Memory

8 GB DDR3

32 GB DDR4

Storage[1]

64 GB SSD

512 GB NVMe

GPU[2]

NVIDIA Kepler Architecture or any AMD

NVIDIA GTX 1650/1660, NVIDIA RTX 3070/3080/3090, Quadro RTX

Out-of-band

Not Required

Dell iDRAC, Supermicro BMC, HP iLO, etc.

Network

1GbE RJ45 LAN

1/10GbE RJ45 LAN

If procuring a new Linux workstation, please email circ-assist@utdallas.edu with the details of your workloads and budget so a CIRC team member can assist in the configuration and purchasing of the system.

Supported OS configuration

Beginning Fall 2022, all deployments of workstations will be based on the an in-house Ubuntu 20.04 image and central configuration management via Ansible. This configuration method allows CIRC team members to easily manage users, software, packages, and updates, providing better support to the user and easier administration for the CIRC team.

A benefit of utilizing the CIRC Ubuntu installation is access to the campus-wide MooseFS filesystem, as well as a large supported software stack and full-time support staff. However, note that this installation does not allow users to have administrative access due to security and audit concerns.

If your workstation is currently running a CentOS/RedHat or older Ubuntu installation and you’d like your system redeployed to the CIRC Ubuntu installation, please email circ-assist@utdallas.edu with the hostname, IP, and administrator credentials (if applicable).

Workstation FAQ

Can I install Python and R Packages?

Yes, most R and Python packages can be installed in userspace. If you run into dependency issues please email circ-assist@utdallas.edu following the Getting Help guidelines.

Why can’t I have administrator access?

Due to the way the systems are configured, only a limited number of people have root access to your machine. This access is mainly used for debugging specific issues. All systems administration is done via configuration management that cannot be easily and safely delegated to other individuals.

Can I set up my workstation on my own?

Yes, but note that this configuration will not be supported by CIRC and will likely not have access to the UTD Active Directory (for NetID authentication), will not have access to MooseFS, and will not be centrally managed via our configuration management.

Are there any other choices other than Ubuntu?

No, CIRC members spent many hours of testing various configurations for ease of setup, user experience, and system administration and Ubuntu was the best choice across all factors. If a RedHat derivative is needed, you can utilize containers or virtual machines to run those workloads.

Are laptops supported?

No, due to the required configuration management methods to ensure that Linux workstations are compliant with access control and security requirements by UT Dallas we are unable to support laptop or portable devices. All CIRC-supported Linux machines should remain on campus in order to be supported by our configuration management.


1. Single disk-systems preferred to reduce hardware complexity and ensure data security/accessibility
2. GPU not required, but GPUs are supported