Tips and Tricks

How do I change my default shell?

To change your default shell, please submit a request to the MPCDF helpdesk. We support bash, tcsh, and csh. We recommend using bash.

Other shells, such as zsh or ksh, are available on our systems but must be invoked manually.

How do I use ssh-agent to avoid typing my SSH key password?

You can use ssh-agent to unlock your SSH key once per terminal session. This is particularly useful when working with Git repositories.

To start the agent and add your key, run the following commands:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

You will not be prompted for your key’s password for the remainder of the session.