Access the Bowdoin HPC Environment

Questions

• How do I connect to the Bowdoin HPC cluster?
• How do I SSH into the HPC environment from a Mac?
• How do I access HPC from a Linux computer?
• How do I access HPC from a Windows computer?
• What is moosehead.bowdoin.edu?
• How do I access the HPC cluster from off campus?
• Do I need a VPN to use HPC?
• My SSH connection keeps dropping — how do I fix it?
• How do I access JupyterLab on the HPC cluster?
• How do I access RStudio on the HPC cluster?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty, students, and researchers with HPC accounts. Access methods vary by platform:

• macOS (Sequoia 15.x, Tahoe 26.x) — SSH via Terminal, or web-based tools
• Windows 11 — HPC Web Portal recommended (SSH tools are no longer supported on Windows)
• Linux — SSH via terminal, or web-based tools

All access methods require a VPN connection when connecting from off campus.

Resolution

Access Methods Overview

There are four ways to connect to the Bowdoin HPC environment:

• HPC Web Portal — browser-based interface at hpcweb.bowdoin.edu for command-line access, graphical applications, and file management. Works with Firefox and Chrome. See Use the HPC Web Portal (Open OnDemand) in the Related Articles section.
• SSH — traditional command-line access to the cluster headnode at moosehead.bowdoin.edu. Available on macOS and Linux (see platform-specific instructions below).
• JupyterLab — web-based Python and R notebook interface at jupyter.bowdoin.edu. Open in any web browser and log in with your Bowdoin credentials.
• RStudio — web-based R development environment at rstudio.bowdoin.edu. Open in any web browser and log in with your Bowdoin credentials.

SSH from macOS

1. Open the Terminal application on your Mac (located in Applications > Utilities).
2. Type ssh username@moosehead.bowdoin.edu where username is your Bowdoin account name (for example, ssh jsmith@moosehead.bowdoin.edu).
3. If this is your first time connecting, type yes when prompted to accept the host certificate.
4. Enter your Bowdoin password when prompted.

To connect to the HPC interactive machine instead of the cluster headnode, use ssh username@dover.bowdoin.edu.

SSH from Linux

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Type ssh -Y username@moosehead.bowdoin.edu where username is your Bowdoin account name. The -Y flag enables X11 forwarding for graphical applications.
3. Enter your Bowdoin password when prompted.

SSH from Windows

SSH-based tools for Windows (MobaXterm, PuTTY, VcXsrv, Cygwin) are no longer supported. Windows users should use the HPC Web Portal at hpcweb.bowdoin.edu to access HPC resources through a web browser. See Use the HPC Web Portal (Open OnDemand) in the Related Articles section.

Fix Dropped SSH Connections

If your SSH connection drops frequently, add the following lines to the end of the SSH configuration file on your computer. On macOS, the file is located at /etc/ssh/ssh_config (admin privileges are required to edit the file):

ServerAliveInterval 120
TCPKeepAlive yes
ForwardX11Trusted yes
ForwardX11 yes

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

• Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
• Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
• In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
• Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.