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Operating System Upgrade

Early testing!

Please note that the advice and commands on this page are still being tested. Expect the possibility for bugs and errors, and always test for accuracy by comparing against commands you know already work.

ICER is upgrading the operating system on all development and compute nodes from CentOS 7 to Ubuntu 22.04. This process is expected to be completed in mid-June 2024.

As part of this process, all software needs to be rebuilt for the new operating system. This includes all user compiled software, and all software provided by ICER via the module system. ICER will be using this as an opportunity to reevaluate software offerings and organization, and as such, the structure of the module system will change.

Check back for updates!

This page will continue to be updated with new information. Check back regularly for updates.

Summary

  • ICER is upgrading the operating system on all nodes from CentOS 7 to Ubuntu 22.04
  • Users will need to change module load commands, possibly updating to different software versions
  • Users will likely need to reinstall/recompile software that is not loaded from the module system (possibly including packages from R, Python, etc) (but should test first)
  • Users may need to reinstall Conda and recreate Conda environments (but should test first)
  • Testing nodes are available
  • Backwards compatibility scripts are available
  • Help is available! Contact us with any problems or questions you have using the subject line "OS Upgrade 2024"!

For specific tasks users need to complete to use the new operating system, please see our page on Preparing for the OS Upgrade.

Why is this happening?

Operating system upgrade

The HPCC requires operating system updates for similar reasons to a personal computer requiring an operating system upgrade. The current operating system, CentOS 7, was released ten years ago, and is nearing the end of its support. In order to ensure that the HPCC stays secure, operational, and stable, a new, supported operating system will take its place.

ICER has chosen to change Linux distributions from CentOS (or any other Red Hat Enterprise Linux derivative) to Ubuntu. This decision involves many factors, but primary amongst them was the ability to continue using ICER's older nodes, increasing the supply of available compute to our users. From a practical perspective, Ubuntu and CentOS will feel very similar to users, and the majority of commands you may be used to using will still continue to work.

Software upgrade

Behind the scenes, changing a computer's operating system also changes the libraries and programs that the software used on a regular basis relies on. This requires reinstallation of nearly every piece of software to ensure that it is compatible with the new system.

Historically, ICER has a mix of software from a variety of sources, but primarily uses a tool called EasyBuild to install and manage software. To better manage future installations and upgrades, we are using this as an opportunity to reassess which software we can most effectively support. The end result will be a software stack better aligned with EasyBuild (which stops supporting older pieces of software), with newer versions that can be tracked and updated more easily.

Estimated timeline

The operating system and software upgrade is happening in stages. The following dates are tentative:

By May 17

We plan to transition approximately 25% of the nodes to the new operating system. Most software requested before April 17 should also be installed.

By June 17

We plan to transition most of the remainder of the nodes. The remainder of requested and popularly used software should also be installed.

Most users should be transitioned to the new operating system. A small portion of nodes will temporarily remain on the CentOS operating system and software stack to help facilitate transition.