[mesa-users] using MESA for education

Mon Jun 9 13:42:59 EDT 2014

I'm not sure how the current crop of live distributions handle this.

My thought would be that the live distribution would go onto a blank 
stick, and then on first boot it would make a data partition in the 
remaining space and then the work would be performed there.  Ideally 
this would be in a partition that could also be mounted if the stick is 
inserted into a machine that is already running instead of being 
booted.  Then it would be easy to retrieve any needed data files.

As I say, what I don't know is if there are any current live 
distributions that basically work like this already.  I'd have to look 
around.  Probably that's the place to start, is start by writing up some 
instructions for setting up MESA on an appropriate USB stick based 
distribution, then try to make that into something pre-packaged.

Dean

On 06/09/2014 12:04 PM, Bill Paxton wrote:
> I love the name, "MESA-on-a-stick".  We have to do it just because the name is so great.  ;D
>
> With that scheme, how do you deal with file output from mesa?   Where does it go?
>
>
> On Jun 9, 2014, at 9:55 AM, Dean Townsley wrote:
>
>> I also saw having the students get familiar with the MESA environment as
>> part of the learning process.  I think any piece of "real" custom
>> scientific software, which a physics grad is not unlikely to encounter
>> once they get a real job or go into research, is going to have a similar
>> level of "special needs" for its required runtime environment or
>> possibly moreso.  They may get lucky and just have the appropriate thing
>> on hand or already installed for them, or they may be handed what some
>> other person had set up but is no longer working and just have to figure
>> it out.
>>
>> But it concerns me that although I suggested the memory stick option to
>> students who were starting with a windows-only PC, most of them opted
>> for dual-boot instead, and without doing the appropriate preparatory
>> backups and such.  It worked out for these particular students, but it
>> could have gone very wrong.
>>
>> As a result, I think more prudence on my part is critical so that they
>> better understand the risks involved.  Realistically I should not help a
>> student install linux dual boot on a PC until I have ensured that they
>> have 1) backed up all their own data, 2) backed up or have installation
>> media for any software they have on the computer that they need, and 3)
>> made recovery disks per their vendor's instructions.  (Actually there is
>> a fair chance that the student will have no idea how to make recovery
>> disks, as vendors are not always clear on this.)  Really these are not
>> strange "extra" safety measures, it is simple standard procedure for
>> repartitioning.  I would never repartition my own machine without having
>> taken these steps, so I shouldn't recommend, let alone assist, someone
>> else to do it either.  I think when faced with the choice of doing all
>> this or buying a $15 USB stick, many students will just buy the stick.
>> Especially if there is a pre-canned "MESA-on-a-stick" installation!
>>
>> Dean
>>
>>
>> On 06/08/2014 08:08 PM, James Lloyd wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> Although I have not taught a course using MESA, I have taught a course that focusses on astronomical computing/data analysis.  In early versions of the course, the students worked in a pre-built and carefully controlled environment on lab computers.  More recently, the students use their own laptops and have to install python/IDL and learn how to install all the extra packages they will need.  All that futzing around with installations and compilers _is_ at least as important as the rest of it to get going in research, so I let it be one of the skills learned in the course.
>>>
>>> Give a student compiled code and you feed him for a day, teach a student to install a compiler and he's running code for a lifetime, or something like that...
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> James
>>>
>>> On Jun 8, 2014, at 8:52 PM, Bill Paxton wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Jun 8, 2014, at 5:43 PM, Josiah Schwab wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On  8 June 2014 at 12:14 PDT, Dean Townsley wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> My suggestion would be to provide a "live DVD" that can be put on a DVD
>>>>>> or USB stick and booted on a PC.  One that would contain a linux
>>>>>> distribution with MESA pre-built and setup.  Then the student could just
>>>>>> grab some inlists from dropbox or a website and go.  Ideally there might
>>>>>> be some user data area on a USB stick too.  Or just put important things
>>>>>> back on dropbox.
>>>>> As is, MESA (9GB) can't fit on a DVD (4GB).
>>>> How big is it if you don't send all of mesa but instead just what is needed to run mesa/star.
>>>>
>>>> no source code.  tar files for data.
>>>>
>>>> i bet you could get that on a DVD.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Does anyone have any experience running MESA in a VM (e.g., VirtualBox)?
>>>>> Any idea how much of a performance hit there is?
>>>>>
>>>>> A VM image would have the advantage of not requiring the students to
>>>>> provide any installation media.
>>>>>
>>>>> Josiah
>>>>>
>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>> Find What Matters Most in Your Big Data with HPCC Systems
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>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> HPCC Systems Open Source Big Data Platform from LexisNexis Risk Solutions
>> Find What Matters Most in Your Big Data with HPCC Systems
>> Open Source. Fast. Scalable. Simple. Ideal for Dirty Data.
>> Leverages Graph Analysis for Fast Processing & Easy Data Exploration
>> http://www.hpccsystems.com
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