Frequently Asked Questions

This Frequently Asked Questions list is designed to help users of the Computer Systems Lab facilities.

If your question is not answered here, please send mail to lab@cs.wisc.edu. We will answer your question, and if it seems generally useful, add it to our online documentation. We would also appreciate feedback.

• Computer Systems Lab Documentation
  • 1 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 1.1 Getting Started
      • 1.1.1 How do I activate my CS or Statistics Department instructional computer account?
      • 1.1.2 I changed my "dot" files and something's broken. How can I fix it?
    • 1.2 Electronic Mail
      • 1.2.1 How do I forward my mail?
      • 1.2.2 Reading mail from students.wisc.edu
    • 1.3 Files and Directories
      • 1.3.1 I deleted a file. How do I get it back?
      • 1.3.2 My disk quota is full, what can I do?
    • 1.4 Security Concerns
      • 1.4.1 How do I change my password?
    • 1.5 SSH (secure shell)
      • 1.5.1 What is SSH?
      • 1.5.2 Why use SSH?
      • 1.5.3 Can I use ssh on CSL Workstations?
      • 1.5.4 Can I use ssh from home?
      • 1.5.5 Can I securely transfer files to and from CS Department computers?
      • 1.5.6 Can I use SSH to read my POP mail?
      • 1.5.7 Why doesn't SSH RSA Authentication work?
      • 1.5.8 Security Considerations with SSH
    • 1.6 Printing
      • 1.6.1 How do I check my printer quota?
      • 1.6.2 I need more paper! I've used up my paper quota!
      • 1.6.3 I'm over my quota. Do I have to pay for the sheets I already printed that went over my printer quota?
      • 1.6.4 Which printers do I have access to?
      • 1.6.5 Can I print to a color printer?
      • 1.6.6 How do I check the printer queue?
      • 1.6.7 How do I print a document?
      • 1.6.8 How do I change my default printer?
      • 1.6.9 I just got a message saying my print job printed. How do I keep from getting these messages?
      • 1.6.10 How do I remove a job from the printer queue?
    • 1.7 Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
      • 1.7.1 What is PGP?
      • 1.7.2 What versions of PGP are installed?
      • 1.7.3 Where is PGP installed?
      • 1.7.4 How can I integrate PGP with my mail program?
      • 1.7.5 Where can I get someone's PGP Public Key?
      • 1.7.6 Where can I get more information on PGP?
    • 1.8 The X Window System
      • 1.8.1 How do I change the screen resolution on the computer I'm using?
      • 1.8.2 How do I lock the display?
      • 1.8.3 How do I change my background?
      • 1.8.4 How do I use X from home?
      • 1.8.5 How can I get my X and/or motif application to compile and link properly?
      • 1.8.6 Why can't I find X application on my Red Hat computer?
      • 1.8.7 How do I use the numeric keypad in X with applications like vi or matlab?
      • 1.8.8 How do I get rid on these can't alloc color for Color messages?
      • 1.8.9 Can my X display be configured for more than 256 colors (8 bits)?