Example: You want to mount a directory on your CCB cluster. You can do so using existing ssh access, via sshfs.

See also

• Using CU's VPN

File mounting via ssh

Access to CCB's clusters (and other Linux-based servers) managed by ChemIT is done via SSH. That meets many researchers needs as-is.

However, sometimes a researcher would benefit from mounting the cluster to their desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux). As a courtesy, here are links to tools one can install on a desktop (Windows, Mac) to enable this:

• https://www.eldos.com/sftp-net-drive/comparison.php (Windows only. The free version is used by two researchers in CCB already, for this purpose)
  • http://linhost.info/2012/09/sshfs-in-windows/ (perhaps useful install how-to)
• http://osxfuse.github.io/ (Mac only; free. Must download both FUSE and SSHFS from this site.)
  • https://github.com/osxfuse/osxfuse/wiki/SSHFS
• sshfs(1) - Linux man page (Linux, Mac; via FUSE)
• http://www.webdrive.com/purchase/ (Mac and Windows; no free version)
• http://www.expandrive.com/expandrive (Mac and Windows (Linux coming?); no free version)
  • https://secure.expandrive.com/store
• http://panic.com/transmit/ (Mac only; no free version)
• http://dokan-dev.net/en/about/ (Windows only; free)
  • http://dokan-dev.net/en/download/
  • http://dokan-dev.net/en/2011/01/12/dokan-sshfs-0-6-0-released/ (This most recent post, as of 2/13/15, is from Jan 2011, re: v.0.6.0. Beware of obsolescence!)

Resources which relate to this type of access:

• https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-sshfs-to-mount-remote-file-systems-over-ssh
• http://www.vitki.net/book/page/webdrive-ssh-filesystem-mounter-windows
• The kernel module FUSE stands for "Filesystem in Userspace".

REQUEST, for the benefit of your colleagues:

• Please let ChemIT know how well the above referred-to tools work (or don't work!) for you so we can share your experience with other researchers.
• Also, please let us know know how this page can change. For example, add links to other tools or resources. Your colleagues and other researchers will thank you!

Real-world examples from a researcher in CCB

Ubuntu, Feb. 2015

Data point from one user using Ubuntu and successfully manual-mounting their home directory on their cluster's head node:

sudo gpasswd -a $USER fuse
sshfs -o idmap=user [NetID]@[machine].chem.cornell.edu:/home/[NetID] /home/whateever/youwant

Thus, adding of his user to the group fuse, and no use of sudo whatsoever.

Desires auto-mount.
Questions from ChemIT regarding this need:

• If on a laptop, what is the expected failure mode when system tries to auto-mount when off-campus, before VPN has been started, following user logging into their laptop's account?
• And, is it OK to have user's cluster's p/w in clear text (within fstab), even if only accessible by root?

This is what user tried, but it did not work:
He tried adding the following line to /etc/fstab (for automatic mount):

sshfs#[NetID]@[machinename].chem.cornell.edu:/home/[NetID] /home/whateever/youwant fuse defaults,idmap=user 0 0

He reports having to run the "sudo mount -a" command (to execute mount of all of /etc/fstab). This method first asks for the user's cluster password (i.e. it disregard the .ssh key), it then mounts the whole thing inaccurately, so that privileges show as "?".