.. _intro-to-software-modules_index:

.. index::
  Workshops; Introduction to RCC


.. _intro-to-software-modules:

#######################################################################
 Using software modules on Midway
#######################################################################


Midway is a general-purpose computing system available to a large number of users in a variety
of fields.  To support these users, RCC provides a large number of libraries and applications
that have been compiled and tuned for Midway.  To maintain a consistent user environment, the 
RCC uses a modules system for configuring a user's environment.

The :command:`module` system is a script based system to manage loading and unloading software
modules.  Try running the commands below and review the output to learn more about the module system.  

Basic ``module`` commands:

  +----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
  | Command              | Description                                         |
  +======================+=====================================================+
  | module avail [name]  | lists modules matching [name] (all if 'name' empty) |
  +----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
  | module load [name]   | loads the named module                              |
  +----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
  | module unload [name] | unloads the named module                            |
  +----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
  | module list          | lists the modules currently loaded for the user     |
  +----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+

Example - Matlab:

:command:`module list`

.. code:: bash

  Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
   1) slurm/2.4       3) subversion/1.6  5) env/rcc         7) tree/1.6.0
   2) vim/7.3         4) emacs/23.4      6) git/1.7


:command:`module avail`

.. code:: bash

  -------------------------------- /software/modulefiles ---------------------------------
  Minuit2/5.28(default)                               intelmpi/4.0
  Minuit2/5.28+intel-12.1                             intelmpi/4.0+intel-12.1(default)
  R/2.15(default)                                     jasper/1.900(default)
  ...
  ifrit/3.4(default)                                  x264/stable(default)
  intel/11.1                                          yasm/1.2(default)
  intel/12.1(default)
  ------------------------- /usr/share/Modules/modulefiles -------------------------------
  dot         module-cvs  module-info modules     null        use.own     
  ----------------------------------- /etc/modulefiles -----------------------------------
  env/rcc            samba/3.6          slurm/2.3          slurm/2.4(default) 
  --------------------------------------- Aliases ----------------------------------------
  

:command:`module avail matlab`

.. code:: bash

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  /software/modulefiles
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  matlab/2011b          matlab/2012a(default) matlab/2012b          
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:command:`module avail`

.. code:: bash

  which matlab
    <not found>

:command:`module load matlab`

.. code:: bash

  which matlab
  /software/matlab-2012a-x86_64/bin/matlab

:command:`module list`

.. code:: bash

  Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
   1) slurm/2.4       3) subversion/1.6  5) env/rcc         7) tree/1.6.0
   2) vim/7.3         4) emacs/23.4      6) git/1.7         8) matlab/2012a


:command:`module unload matlab`

.. code:: bash

  which matlab
    <not found>

:command:`module load matlab/2011b`

.. code:: bash

  which matlab
  /software/matlab-2011b-x86_64/bin/matlab

:command:`module list`

.. code:: bash

  Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
   1) slurm/2.4       3) subversion/1.6  5) env/rcc         7) tree/1.6.0
   2) vim/7.3         4) emacs/23.4      6) git/1.7         8) matlab/2011b