Tux Web Services
The Tux ecosystem has several web services available, designed to meet different needs for academic coursework. Their general usage is explained below.
Public Services
Public services can be accessed from any network and do not require VPN for access.
Plain HTML and PHP:
Plain HTML and PHP sites can be served directly from the Tux web server, www.cs.drexel.edu. This is an Apache web server, which loads any information in your home directory under the public_html directory.
The public_html directory must be world readable and executable (eg 755 permissions) in order for the web server to serve the content from it. Also, your Tux home directory must be world executable (711 permissions) in order for the web server to have permission to see your public_html folder.
To access these sites, navigate to https://www.cs.drexel.edu/~abc123 in your web browser. Replace abc123 with your own Drexel username.
To run cgi-bin applications using PHP, place the appropriate files in public_html/cgi-bin. These sites can be accessed at https://www.cs.drexel.edu/~abc123/cgi-bin/ in your web browser. Replace abc123 with your own Drexel username.
Please also see:
Private Services
Private services are only available on the Drexel network - you must be on campus or connected to the Drexel VPN to access them. To get connected to the Drexel VPN, follow the instructions at VPN.
Databases
CCI hosts several databases. Currently, available options are MariaDB and MongoDB. Other database systems may be developed, depending on course requirements.
Currently, all database access must be granted on a per-user level, with dedicated login information. Professors may request access for their students at least two weeks before the start of the term in which they are needed, and individuals may request access for class projects with approval from their professor. Requests should be sent to ihelp@drexel.edu and include the subject line "Request for database - course #". Please indicate which database type you would like when requesting the database, and provide an indication as to when the database will no longer be needed. Typically, this will be assumed to be the end of the term.
Jupyterhub
Jupyterhub is provided as a way of running Jupyter notebooks. To use Jupyterhub, you must first log in to the Jupyterhub server over SSH - from Tux, you can just type "ssh jupyterhub" and you should connect automatically and be prompted for your Drexel/Tux password. Once you've connected, you can access the web interface at https://jupyterhub.cci.drexel.edu and login with your Drexel/Tux credentials. Within Jupyterhub, you can choose which notebook to open from your home directory.
Here you can find more detailed instructions on how to connect to Jupyterhub.
Node.js and Python app port numbers:
For Node and Python sites, a port number must be assigned to your app. To get a port number, visit https://www.cs.drexel.edu/~bjb344/portman.php
NOTE: The Python and NodeJS port number assignment process will change in Spring 2025. A new, more reliable, and more streamlined process is coming. This document will be updated when the new process is available.
Node.js
Node is available on node.cci.drexel.edu. Sites are managed through pm2, a production-grade Node.js server, which can track changes in files, automatically restart services, remain running when logged out, and provide centralized logs.
Full documentation and a walktrhough for a basic Node.js website configuration can be found at Node.js Web Applications on Tux
Python apps/frameworks
Python apps and frameworks can be run on the Node server, hosted at node.cci.drexel.edu. Full documentation on this service can be found at Python Web Applications on Tux.