Environment modules

Our linux shell servers and several Bèta compute clusters provide so called software environment modules.

These modules when loaded can adjust your shell-environment to specific settings. Most of them will add path settings and environment variables specific for an application.

If you no longer need a specific module anymore, you can remove it and it will undo the corresponding environment modifications.

For some software packages an enviroment module is available.

Usage: 
   $ module avail 
          - list available software modules below /etc/modulefiles   
   $ module load "module"
          - load the module specific enviroment settings
   $ module remove "module"
          - remove the module enviroment settings from your user enviroment 
   $ module help "module"
          - display some info about module

Example (load and remove settings for ncl):

On our shell server gemini.science.uu.nl

bash$ module avail
---------------------------- /usr/share/Modules/modulefiles -----------------------------
dot         module-git  module-info modules     null        use.own

----------------------------------- /etc/modulefiles ------------------------------------
ferret/7                    mpi/mpich-3.0-x86_64        ncl/6.3.0
idl/86                      mpi/mpich-x86_64            pgi/10.6
mpi/compat-openmpi16-x86_64 mpi/openmpi-x86_64          sge/2011

When only one version of a software package is available as a module there is no need to add the version when loading that module, e.g. ncl/6.3.0.

bash$ module load ncl
bash$ module list
Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
  1) sge/2011    2) ncl/6.3.0
bash$ module remove ncl
bash$ module list
Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
  1) sge/2011

For more information read the manual pages: man module