Setting up Nuvolos

How to set up Nuvolos for the practice assignments or for when you need to run code on a remote machine.

📋 NOTE:

This page was completely rewritten on 4 October 2024, around 3pm, to address the issues students were having with the Nuvolos invitation link.

The guide below has more screenshots and has a new set of instructions that I have tested myself, after interacting with the Nuvolos IT team.

If you still have issues, please raise them on the #help channel on Slack, giving me context into what’s going on. Post screenshots of error messages when possible.

What is Nuvolos?

Nuvolos is a cloud-based platform that offers an interface for accessing the terminal and writing and running Python scripts directly from your browser – no installation required.

Why use this platform?

1. To practice the Terminal & Python commands without having to install anything on your computer.

2. When you need to run a piece of code that will take a long time to execute, you can run it on Nuvolos and continue working on your computer.

3. If your computer cannot run the software required for a specific task, you can use Nuvolos to run it.

👉 First Time Accessing Nuvolos? Click here.

You need an invitation link!

For security reasons, I cannot post the invitation link here on the public website. Please click here to view the uncesored version of this page on Moodle. The invitation link is available there.

Using Nuvolos

If you already have a Nuvolos account, simply go to the Nuvolos website and login using the credentials you provided when you created the Nuvolos account.

1. Access the platform. After logging in, you will be able to access the platform. You will see a screen similar to the one below:

   

   Figure 6. Your Nuvolos frontpage will have a ‘Space’ dedicated to this course.

2. Click on the ‘DS105A-2024’ word to access the Overview page.

   

   Figure 7. The Overview page has a list of all available assignments (if any) at the top and a bit of information about how to use the platform.

Navigate the files

The Operating System you are using on Nuvolos is Linux. This means you will be on an unfamiliar file system. The home directory will be different than the one you discovered on your computer when doing the 📝 W01 Formative Exercise.

💡 Tip: Revisit the 👨🏻‍🏫 W01 Lecture Notes - Topic 2 or rewatch the final 30 minutes of the 🎥 W01 Lecture recording for more context.

When working on the Nuvolos Terminal app, you will have to use UNIX commands – even if your computer runs on Windows. Check the Terminal Cheat Sheet page for a list of the most common UNIX commands.

Click on the ‘Files’ tab to see the files and folders available to you. You can create new files and folders, upload and download files from there.

Run applications like the Terminal or VS Code

Visit the ‘Applications’ tab to see the available apps. You should see the Terminal app enabled by default and eventually other apps like VS Code.

Figure 5. The Applications tab shows the available applications.

💡 Tip: Although the 📝 W01 Formative Exercise assumes you are using the Terminal on your computer, feel free to use the Nuvolos Terminal.

Run Python

Nuvolos already comes with Python installed and pre-configured. Simply open the Terminal or the VS Code app and type python to start the Python interpreter.

💡 Tip: The 📝 W02 Formative Exercise will guide you through running Python scripts on Nuvolos.

Run Jupyter Notebooks

We will run Jupyter Notebooks exclusively via the VS Code application - whether on Nuvolos or on your computer.

💡 Tip: The 📝 W03 Formative Exercise will guide you through running Jupyter Notebooks on Nuvolos.

Submitting Assignments

When an assignment is available, the instructions will tell you that you need to create or modify files in specific folders. Follow the instructions of the assignment guide to complete the work then follow the steps below to submit your work.

👉 The first assignment that explicitly requires a submission is the 📝 W02 Formative Exercise.

When it is time to submit your work, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Assignments Tab. There you will find the list of assignments available.

   For example, if you are working on the 📝 W02 Formative Exercise, locate the assignment named ‘📝 W02 Formative Exercise’ and click on the ‘Hand-In’ Button

   

   Figure 6. In the assignments page, you will find the ‘Hand-In’ button

2. Hand-in the submission. You will see a list of all the files you changed or created which are related to the assignment.

   You will also be asked to type an identifier. Use your LSE candidate number as the identifier.

   

   Figure 7. You will be asked to type an identifier. Please add your LSE candidate number.

3. Re-submit whenever you want. If you need to make changes to your submission, you can hand it in again. Only the last submission will be the one considered for feedback.