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Starting Labs on Lynx

  1. Open Lynx Session
  2. Clone your github repository to begin a new assignment
  3. Build the lab's dependenices
  4. Open Pluto notebook
  5. Commit your changes

Open Lynx Session

Clone your github repository to begin a new assignment

  • Lookup the url for the repo to be cloned (from Canvas assignment page for that lab or in an announcement).

    • If you haven't followed the link to create your repo for this week's assignment yet, then do that now. Click "Accept this assignment." That should trigger GitHub to create a private git repository (typically named labN-GITHUBID) (where N is the lab number and GITHUBID is the GitHub username that you're logged in as at the time you follow the link).

    • Note the URL for your private github repository, which will be similar to https://github.com/PsuAstro528/labN-GITHUBID.

    • Navigate to the github repository you'll be using in your browser.

    • Click the green <> Code button.

    • In the local tab, under "Clone", click "SSH" (unless it is already selected).

    • Click the clipboard icon to copy the url onto your clipboard

  • Return to your browser tab with "My Interactive Sessions".

  • Hopefully, there's now a Click to Connect to Jupyter button. Click it.

  • Go to the newly opened tab, you'll have a Jupyter Lab Server or a Pluto Server.

  • If you don't see tiles for Python, Julia and Pluto Notebooks, then click File.NewLauncher.

  • Find the Terminal tile or in the menu system, File.New.Terminal.

  • In the new terminal tab, ensure that you are in your home directory (cd ~) and clone your github repo by running

git clone REPO_URL

where REPO_URL is what you'll paste from the clipboard

Build the lab's dependenices

  • Change into the directory that was created for the repository (we'll call it REPO_DIR) and install all the package dependencies required (as specified by the Project.toml or embedded in Pluto notebooks) by running

cd REPO_DIR
julia --project -e 'using Pkg; Pkg.build(); '

Open Pluto notebook

  • Go back to the browser tab with your Jupyter Lab server running.

  • If you do not see the a tile for Pluto, then go to File.NewLauncher.

  • Most labs will contain one or more Pluto notebooks (typically their file names be like ex1.jl, ex2.jl). To open one in Pluto,

    • Click the Pluto tile. A new tab will open in your browser for the Pluto session.

    • In the box labeled "Enter path or URL..." under "Open a notebook", type the path to the directory containing the repo, a forward slash and the name of the first notebook (e.g., 'your_repo:/ex1.jl'). Tab completion is often helpful.

  • Do your work in the notebook.

  • When you're done with a notebook, make sure it is saved (Ctrl+S) and close the tab.

Commit your changes

Ideally, you'd commit small changes as you go. At a minimum, make sure that you commit your changes each time you are wrapping up a coding session or about to take a break.