Computer and workspace

Creating a comfortable workspace is important for making sure you are able to do your best. It is worth the effort to set up the group workspace with tools and equipment that will contribute to your ability to do research.

Computer

Our main equipment is the computer, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with what is suitable system for scientific computing (e.g., here).

A typical computer:

• a newish CPU (e.g., Intel i7)

• 16-32 GB RAM

• 512 to 1 TB hard drive

A big component of our research is interacting with the supercomputers through the terminal. It is highly recommended to use an OS with a bash-like environment (e.g., Linux or Mac). There are some workarounds for Windows, but these are usually not very robust for the type of work we do. Wennie uses the Ubuntu flavor of Linux distros (starting in grad school!)- Ubuntu is quite mature and has ample online documentation.

Ask around the office or discuss with Wennie about getting a machine for your computing/research needs.

Personalizing your workspace

Feel free to add things to your workspace to make it more comfortable or useful.

Ergonomics

The nature of our work involves sitting for extended periods in front of a screen. As such, good ergonomics is an important aspect for your long term health (physical and mental).

See here for guidelines on setting up your computer workspace ergonomically.

Purchasing

If you would like to purchase something that will be useful to your project, the office workspace, or other group members, please let Wennie know and send an item description + link to what you want to purchase. This includes things like printing materials, refreshments, extension cords, etc.