Using CS Lab Computers

You must use your CS account and CS lab computers (remotely or locally) to verify homework and projects.

Account Basics

Your CS account shares the same username as your myUSF account, but different passwords. You should use your CS account for the following purposes:

• Logging into the computers in the CS classrooms (Harney 142 and LS G12).

• Logging into the computers in the CS labs (Harney 413).

• Logging into the lab computers remotely via SSH.

Alternatively, you use your myUSF username and password to login into myUSF, Canvas, access your @dons.usfca.edu email, and other university-wide resources.

Username and Password

Your CS account username will always be the same as your myUSF username. You can determine your username by looking at the part before @dons.usfca.edu in your USF email address. For example, if my email address is sjengle@dons.usfca.edu then my username will be sjengle.

Your initial password will be the LAST six digits of your student ID. Since your student ID is 8 digits, remove the first two digits from your student ID (usually 20...) and use the remaining digits as your password. For example, if your student ID is 20123456, then your initial password will be 123456.

You should change your password after logging in for the first time.

Local Access

If you are physically in one of the CS Labs, you can log into one of the lab computers running Linux directly using your username and password.

Remote Access

If you want to access one of the CS Lab computers remotely (for example, from home or off-campus), you must login using SSH. From a Linux or Mac system, open a terminal window and enter the following command (replacing username with your own username):

ssh username@stargate.cs.usfca.edu

This will log you into our gateway. However, Java is not installed on our gateway! You must next log into one of our lab computers. Enter rusers to find which systems are free. You want a system that has no users listed next to its name. Then, SSH into that lab computer. For example, if g1201 is free, you can enter:

ssh g1201

You do not need to include your username or the domain “cs.usfca.edu” above, since you are already logged into a CS system.

See the CS Support guide for how to login using PuTTY if you have a Windows system.

Getting Help

Your CS account is created and managed by our CS Support team. If you run into any issues with your account, please contact them via email at support@cs.usfca.edu or stop by Harney 536.

The instructor cannot reset your password for you, but we do have a test account you can use temporarily if you are having trouble during class.