Mopra Remote Observing Guide
Remobs Links
Setting up Remote Observing with the ATCA
Setting up Remote Observing on Ara (in Marsfield)
VNC Password requests
Observing Terminals
ATCA Portal
SOC Information
Duty Astronomers
Observing Schedules
How it works
- Before you may remote observe, you need permission: use the Remote Observing Request Form.
- You control Mopra via a remote desktop session (VNC)
- We highly recommend you observe with more than one screen, at the very least, run VNC on one computer/screen, and TOAD on a separate computer/screen.
- This can either be done directly from within ATNF, or through an SSH tunnel from externally, or by connecting to ATNF via VPN (staff only).
- For observing coordination, please use the chat window in the top left corner of the first VNC session.
Setup guide for observers with a single screen
If you plan to remote observe with Mopra using a single screen computer, follow these steps. If you have more than one computer available, or a computer with several monitors, please skip to the next section:
- Download a VNC client. We recommend TightVNC. TightVNC exists for Linux and Windows. Mac users should use Chicken of the VNC
- Make sure you keep monitoring Mopra with TOAD during your observing run. To start, check your browsers:
- TOAD works best with:
- Safari (Mac and Windows, free download here)
- Google Chrome (Windows only at the time of this writing, free download here)
- Firefox and other Mozilla derivatives (Linux/Windows)
- Opera 9 (Linux/Windows)
- Click here to open TOAD in a new window: http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/mopra/TOAD
- TOAD works best with:
- If connecting from outside ATNF:
- Establish an ssh tunnel into ATNF for VNC's use:
ssh your_ident@venice.atnf.csiro.au -L 5910:bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5910
- Start the VNC Client on your local computer and connect to
127.0.0.1:5910
- Proceed with Authentication (see below)
- If connecting from inside ATNF:
- start the VNC client on your computer and connect to
bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5910
- Proceed with Authentication (see below)
- start the VNC client on your computer and connect to
Setup guide for observers with more than one screen
To set up on multiple screens:
- If necessary, download a VNC client. We recommend TightVNC. TightVNC exists for Linux and Windows. Mac ssers should use Chicken of the VNC
- Make sure you keep monitoring Mopra with TOAD during your observing run. To start, check your browsers:
- TOAD works best with:
- Safari (Mac and Windows, free download here)
- Google Chrome (Windows only at the time of this writing, free download here)
- Firefox and other Mozilla derivatives (Linux/Windows)
- Opera 9 (Linux/Windows)
- Click here to open TOAD in a new window: http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/mopra/TOAD
- TOAD works best with:
- If connecting from outside ATNF:
- Establish an ssh tunnel into ATNF for VNC's use, you will need one tunnel for each screen. Up to three screens are available:
ssh your_ident@venice.atnf.csiro.au -L 5910:bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5910
ssh your_ident@venice.atnf.csiro.au -L 5911:bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5911
ssh your_ident@venice.atnf.csiro.au -L 5912:bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5912
- Start the VNC Client on your local computer and connect to
127.0.0.1:5910
- Start the VNC Client on your local computer and connect to
127.0.0.1:5911
- Start the VNC Client on your local computer and connect to
127.0.0.1:5912
- Proceed with Authentication (see below)
- If connecting from inside ATNF:
- start the VNC client on your computer and connect to
bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:5910
- Proceed with Authentication (see below)
Authentication
Please contact balt.indermuehle@csiro.au for the VNC password.
Some hints and tips
- For convenient observing, make sure you have a screen resolution of no less than 1280x900
Observers can stop reading here, the rest of this page is for support staff
Setting up the TightVNC Server (for support staff only)
These steps are for setting up remote observing on bigrock. Only Mopra support staff should be following these instructions.
Start vnc server on bigrock:
ssh atcaobs@bigrock.atnf.csiro.au
- execute
.tightvnc/start_tightvncserver
- This will result in a TightVNC Server setup on ports 5910, 5911 and 5912.
- VNC into
bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:10
and set up the virtual desktops and start the applications:- Desktop 1: TCS
- Desktop 2: MOPS and MOTP
- Desktop 3: SPD, Pointing, Utilities (attest, atdrivemon)
- Log into each of the other servers below and set up the respective applications. This is for multi machine remote observing
bigrock.atnf.csiro.au:11
MOPS and MOTPbigrock.atnf.csiro.au:12
SPD, Pointing, Utilities (attest, atdrivemon)
 
Original: Balt Indermuehle (09-Apr-2008)
Modified: Balt Indermuehle (20-Mar-2014)