Getting Started#

Development Environment#

Hardware: For this course, as a minimum, we need you to have a machine that you can use for software development. A typical configuration is Intel Core i5 + 256GB SSD + 8GB RAM. The compute resources available to you are Biglab nodes and Linux/Windows machines in Detkin/Ketterer, where you can compile your code. After the add/drop period, we will provide each of you with a Ultra96 board, which will be used in the subsequent assignments.

OS: You can use any OS—Mac/Linux/Windows, however, keep in mind that Xilinx Vitis, which will be introduced in HW 5, only supports Linux (you can use Linux on virtualization software or partition the disk for dual boot Linux/your OS). Our instructions are written for Linux and assumes you have basic proficiency in Linux. Following are some resources if you need to brush up on Linux command line:

Terminal: For HW 1-4, we will use a command-line workflow. We will introduce some Xilinx specific tool workflow in HW 5-7. You will need to be comfortable with using a terminal. We will be using a terminal to ssh into Biglab. Moreover, we will make use of the terminals in Detkin/Ketterer labs when in-person.

Editor: We assume that you have an editor of your choice (e.g. Vim/Emacs/VS-Code). To edit your remote source files, you can use vim or emacs directly in the remote terminal. Or you can ssh from an editor in your local machine to edit files remotely. For instance:

Version Control: We will be supplying starter code at ese532_code git repository. Hence, you’ll need to know basic git commands. Refer to the following resource to brush up on your git commands:

Logging into Biglab#

Attention

You must install the University VPN and have the VPN enabled when connecting to (ssh) or copying to (scp) Biglab (or any other penn computer) when off campus. Follow the instructions here.

Use UPenn’s Biglab as instructed here. Note that biglab can be busy. You can find out which machine is free by going to https://www.seas.upenn.edu/checklab/?lab=biglab

Try the Makefile Tutorial in Biglab.

Tip

When working in the terminal, use tmux. Sometimes your ssh connection to Biglab may drop. When you work inside tmux, you can continue back from your previous terminal session. Learn more from here.

Transferring files between Biglab and local machine#

Attention

You must install the University VPN and have the VPN enabled when connecting to (ssh) or copying to (scp) Biglab (or any other penn computer) when off campus. Follow the instructions here.

We highly encourage you to work in git repositories when you are editing source code. You can create a private repository in github with the starter code we provide you, and then you can git clone your repository in Biglab. Make sure to build a habit of frequently committing your work.

You can upload/download your work to/from Biglab in several ways:

For Linux users,

  • You could just commit your updated code and outputs/logs into your github repository and then access the github repository from anywhere.

  • You could use scp as follows to transfer a single file or a folder between Biglab and your local machine:

    # execute from your local machine
# to upload a file
scp FILENAME <penn-username>@biglab.seas.upenn.edu:FILENAME

# to upload a folder
scp -r FOLDER <penn-username>@biglab.seas.upenn.edu:

# to download a file
scp <penn-username>@biglab.seas.upenn.edu:FILENAME FILENAME

# to download a folder
scp -r <penn-username>@biglab.seas.upenn.edu:FOLDER ./

  • Alternatively you can use sshfs to mount your Biglab directory to a local folder: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-sshfs-to-mount-remote-file-systems-over-ssh

For Windows users, you could use WS_FTP. More information is in here.

You are now ready to do homeworks 1-4!