Welcome to the ESD Group (Version: May 19, 2017)

You have just joined the ESD Group as a new BA/MA/MSc Student? Welcome! This document is designed to help you get settled in and to acquaint yourself a little with the technical/organizational environment.

Staff, Roles & Responsibilities

Secretariat

The secretariat is at ground-level in Room 114. Among other things (such as friendly staff) you will find there your letter box, office material and a photo-copier/scanner. This is also your access point for getting keys. Email Beate or Claudia (cc: Todd Ehlers) with rooms that you require access to.

Group Library Zotero

We share articles and books in a common group library with Zotero. To get an account, sign up at www.zotero.org, and request access to the “Ehlers ESD Group Library”. After a while, you will get a confirmation Email. You can use Zotero online, as a Plugin in your Browser or with a standalone Desktop version. You can use Zotero for referencing in Latex, Word, and Libreoffice. Please also upload all your project-based literature to the database, so that we can use these documents later on. More details and instructions about the use of the Group-library are given in this file and this page. When you install the Desktop version of Zotero, watch out about the Synchronization settings. If you do not want to have the entire library (many GBs) on your local Computer, set the synchronization options accordingly (e.g. Download files “as needed”). First-time syncing does take some time.

Computer Lab and User Accounts with LDAP

In room 330 are a number of computers open to use for everyone (in particular BA/MA students). In order to login, you need to get an LDAP Account from Willi Kappler. The (windows) computer run ArcGIS, Matlab and other licensed software. In case the computer-lab gets too busy, you can reserve a time slot using the time sheets which are deposited in front of the computers. This room also hosts a coffee machine for public use. If you use it, make sure it is off at the end of the day (and buy coffee every now and then).

Calendar

Regular Group events (such as the Group Seminar and Coffe Talks) are advertised through the iCloud Calendar (which you can link with your local calendar if you wish). Additional information (such as the Teaching Calendar, Travels of staff etc.) are done through ICAL which you can sign up described here (recommended for PhD, Postdoc).

File Sharing with Nextcloud

We use Nextcloud for file sharing which has equivalent functionality as Dropbox. However, because we host our own Server much more dataspace is available. You can install the Nextcloud Browser on your Desktop, and files will be synced automatically. You can reach the Bowser under:

 https://esdynamics.geo.uni-tuebingen.de/nextcloud

Passwords/Logins are available from Willi Kappler.

WIKI

You already found your way here, but just in case: Many Lab-Protocols, Tutorials and Documents about the computational infrastructure are found here:

https://esdynamics.geo.uni-tuebingen.de/wiki/index.php

there are two types of users (esd_staff, esd_student). Get the passwords from Willi.

The ESD Group Server

We have a group server which hosts a number of shared files (e.g. the ArcGIS base datasets), and which you should also use to save your project work. This server has a predefined directory structure and different directories are backed up differently. Everything in “docs/<users>” is backed up incrementally and daily. Everything in “data/<user>/data_large” is backed up incrementally and monthly. Pure Backups should be compressed (zip/tar) to save data space and backup time. Please read more here:

More information on the servers and computers here. (You have to log in first)

More information on the file server structure here.

Basecamp

Some projects require the use of the project management software “Basecamp”. MA and PhD students should be added by their direct supervisor (e.g. Group Seminar and Coffee Talks are organized through Basecamp).

ESD Group Meetings // Coffee Talks

During the term, we will have regular group meetings (details on Basecamp). Typically, these meetings have a scientific presentation and general announcements. MA/PhD/Postdocs should participate. BA are welcome (but often have class timing conflicts).

Coffee talks are about 3 times per week around noon (check basecamp for details). They are about 15 min., completely informal talks in which group members share problems they encounter, interesting progress that they have made or any other topic that is on your heart. Feel free to drop in and out whenever you want. Also feel free to present! It is open to everyone.