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FAQ	faq, frequently asked questions, support	27 October 2022	merlin6_sidebar	/merlin6/faq.html

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How do I register for merlin?

See Requesting Accounts.

Can I install software myself?

Most software can be installed in user directories without any special permissions. We recommend using /data/user/$USER/bin for software since home directories are fairly small. For software that will be used by multiple groups/users you can also request the admins install it as a module.

How to install depends a bit on the software itself. There are three common installation procedures:

1. binary distributions. These are easy; just put them in a directory (eg /data/user/$USER/bin) and add that to your PATH.
2. source compilation using make/cmake/autoconfig/etc. Usually the compilation scripts accept a --prefix=/data/user/$USER directory for where to install it. Then they place files under <prefix>/bin, <prefix>/lib, etc. The exact syntax should be documented in the installation instructions.
3. conda environment. This is now becoming standard for python-based software, including lots of the AI tools. First follow the initial setup instructions to configure conda to use /data/user instead of your home directory. Then you can create environments like:

module load anaconda/2019.07
# if they provide environment.yml
conda env create -f environment.yml

# or to create manually
conda create --name myenv python==3.9 ...

conda activate myenv