BAG Group Computer Resources

Author: Callum Smith, Feb 2026 (last updated: Feb 2026)

This guide is a suggested best method for utilising the FOE compute resources, edits welcome!

The following guide provides info on connecting to our available remote machines at the command line. A more detailed guide on connecting using VS Code is also available.

The guide also details how to navigate to several popular BAG storage disks.

Available Resources

The following compute resources are available to BAG group members, listed from most commonly used to least:

Resource	Notes
Your laptop	Personal machine
`uol-gen-res-03`	FoE Linux CPU server
`uol-gen-res-04`	BAG group-specific server
`viper`, `jester`, `sundown`	Legacy machines — no ongoing support
Aire	HPC cluster
JASMIN	NERC collaborative computing facility
Google Earth Engine	Cloud-based geospatial platform

Connecting to Remote Servers via SSH

The recommended BAG method for working on remote servers is SSH, either from the command line or from an IDE such as VS Code.

Note: This approach supersedes the use of the university VPN. Connecting without the VPN gives a faster and more stable connection.

On campus (wired connection)

If you are on a wired connection within the university network, you can connect directly:

ssh <your_username>@uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk

Off campus (outside the university network)

If you are off campus, you must first jump through the university access server (rash):

ssh -J <your_username>@rash.leeds.ac.uk <your_username>@uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk

You can avoid typing the full connection details every time by adding entries to your ~/.ssh/config file. Once configured, logging in is as simple as:

ssh foec3

Example `~/.ssh/config`

Host rash
    Hostname rash.leeds.ac.uk
    User <your_username>
    ForwardAgent yes
    ForwardX11 yes
    ForwardX11Trusted yes
    RequestTTY yes

Host foec3
    HostName uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk
    User <your_username>
    ProxyJump rash
    ForwardAgent yes
    ForwardX11Trusted yes
    RequestTTY yes

Host fcwir
    Hostname uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk
    User <your_username>
    RequestTTY force

Replace <your_username> with your university username.

The ProxyJump rash line in the foec3 block routes your connection through the rash access server — use this alias when off campus.
The fcwir alias (FoE CPU wired) skips the proxy for a faster connection when on campus. You can name these aliases whatever you like.

Note: You may need to apply for access to rash first. Use the request form at the bottom of the IT remote access article.

Logging in can be further streamlined by setting up SSH keys, so you don't need to type your password every time.

1. Generate a key pair

Run the following on your local machine (laptop). Accept the default file location and optionally set a passphrase:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "<your_username>@leeds.ac.uk"

This creates two files in ~/.ssh/: - id_ed25519 — your private key (never share this) - id_ed25519.pub — your public key (this gets copied to remote machines)

2. Copy your public key to the remote server

ssh-copy-id <your_username>@uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk

If you are off campus and connecting via rash, copy the key to rash first, then from rash to the target server:

ssh-copy-id <your_username>@rash.leeds.ac.uk
ssh <your_username>@rash.leeds.ac.uk
ssh-copy-id <your_username>@uol-gen-res-03.leeds.ac.uk

3. Enable agent forwarding

With ForwardAgent yes already set in the SSH config (see above), your local key is forwarded through rash to the target server automatically. This means you only need to copy your key to rash and each target machine once — subsequent logins via ProxyJump will work without a password.

Navigating to BAG Storage Disks

Once connected, you can navigate to the BAG storage disks. The path structure uses /uolstore/ rather than the older /nfs/ route.

b0122 — legacy (but maintained) b drive:

cd /uolstore/Research/b/b0122/

p0106 — newly acquired storage:

cd /uolstore/RIT/RITCore/Env/p0106/

You may not have permissions to access these drives, but if you're in BAG you can ask IT to add you as a user, most likely to p0106.