Every user of the IPG network have a personal space on our central file server. This space is completely at his/hers disposition and every kind of files can be recorded inside. Maintaining all the personal files in this server means that your files are backuped and that you can access it from every linux workstation of the Labs automatically and even from personal laptops with differents Operating systems, as Os X or Windows.

<note> These facilities are available only for computers connected to the network by wire. Users connected to the wireless networks can't access hers/his homedir directly. </note>

Automatically, when you login on one of the workstation, the system connect to your homedir maintained in the central file server and you can access all your files as they are recorded on the local disk. You don't have to do nothing else, to see your files. If you use a personal laptop running linux, you can use the remote mounting of your homedir by using the nfs protocol. In this case you can chose the manual mode or the autofs daemon. Only the allowed workstation will be able to connect to the server, so you must ask to the System Administrator the permission to use the connection. In order to connect correctly follow these instructions. Of course Linux doesn't have limitations like others operating systems and users can use also others solutions. Refer to the instruction below if you prefer to use SMB/CIFS protocol to connect to your homedir.

Users of Os X Operating System can connect to his/hers homedir using the standard afp connection protocol developed by Apple. Just connect to the server melpomene.epfl.ch using the Command-K key combination. If the initial connection is successfull (you must be allowed to use the network, before that) the system will ask for your network login credentials. After inserting these, you can select the directory to mount (your homedir is your login name, web is the web space disc, scratch is the scratch disc). Once mounted you can access your files directly from the Os X applications.

<note warning> Remember to unmount the homedir before disconnecting the network, else the laptop will hang for a while (forever in case you're using Tiger). </note>