Module Environment

When you log into bert.ibers you see a message like this;

   
Use the following commands to adjust your environment:

'module avail'            - show available modules
'module add <module>'     - adds a module to your environment for this session
'module initadd <module>' - configure module to be loaded at every login

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This is the first indication of the module environment. So what is a module?

A module is an environment that can be loaded by the user. A common usage for this is if there are several versions of a piece of software available on the machine. By default when you log into bert.ibers and type in the command for the piece of software, it will run the latest version. This might be fine for everyday use, but there could be a time when you need an older version (maybe to make it compatible with another piece of software). You wouldn't wish to replace a new version with an old one. This is where modules become useful. By making software available in modules, it allows the user to specify the environment they wish to work, thus choosing which version of a give program you wish to use.

Loading and unloading modules

If you type;

   
[username@bert ~]$ module list
Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
  1) gcc/4.4.6     2) sge/6.2u5p2
    

you will see which modules are currently loaded.

To see which modules are available, type;

   
[username@bert ~]$ module avail
    

you will get a long list of programs and environments available to you.