UCLEconomics Research

UCL Economics

Research Computing

IT support (MyServices)

Install software on a Condenser Ubuntu VM

This guide assumes Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 and an account with sudo access.

Base development tools

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install build-essential curl wget git unzip software-properties-common

Avoid unattended -y upgrades until you have reviewed the proposed changes.

Python

sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev
python3 --version

Create a project-specific virtual environment as a regular user:

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

GCC and GNU Fortran

sudo apt install gcc g++ gfortran
gcc --version
gfortran --version

Julia

Use the installation method currently recommended in the official Julia documentation. Review any downloaded installer before running it on a managed VM.

R

Ubuntu provides R packages:

sudo apt install r-base r-base-dev
R --version

For a newer R version, use the instructions for the VM's exact Ubuntu release from the R Project.

RStudio Server

Download the package for the VM's exact Ubuntu release and architecture from the official Posit download page. Do not reuse a version-specific URL without checking that it is current.

After installation, inspect the service with:

sudo systemctl status rstudio-server

To reach it without exposing port 8787 publicly, create an SSH tunnel from your computer. Replace the address and username as needed:

ssh -J condenser -L 8787:localhost:8787 ubuntu@VM_IP_ADDRESS

Then open <http://localhost:8787>. Give each user an individual Linux account; do not create or share a generic password-based account.

Intel oneAPI

Follow Intel's current instructions for configuring the APT repository, then select only the toolkits the VM requires. The prior guide installed both intel-oneapi-base-toolkit and intel-oneapi-hpc-toolkit.

After installation, Intel tools are normally under /opt/intel. Load the environment using the script for the installed version and verify the required compiler and MPI commands.

For the user-space installation notes, NAG configuration, legacy compiler settings, and the migrated environment script, see Intel oneAPI and NAG on Condenser.

ThinLinc

ThinLinc should be installed only when a remote graphical desktop is required. Use the official ThinLinc Server documentation for the current download, installation, TLS, authentication, and firewall steps. Do not expose SSH, RStudio, or ThinLinc ports broadly without an approved access-control design.

Verification checklist

  • Required runtimes and compilers report the expected versions.
  • Each service starts after a reboot and logs to the expected location.
  • User accounts follow the agreed authentication policy.
  • Services are reachable only through approved routes.
  • Firewall and cloud security rules expose no unnecessary ports.
  • System and application updates have an identified owner.
  • A recovery or rebuild procedure has been recorded.