Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common technical support questions asked by our users.

I'm Having an Emergency And Can't Wait!

We pride ourselves on offering the highest quality of service to our users and part of that is not ignoring people in crisis. If you have an urgent need, please let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate your need. Please refer to our Staff Directory page or Policies page if necessary.

How Do I Get An Account? Is It Free?

Yes, it is free to get accounts. Fill out the appropriate account request form.

How Do I Change My Passwords?

Please refer to our Tutorials web page.

How Can I Set Up a Vacation Message?

Please refer to our Tutorials web page.

What Do I Do if I Can't Log Into the Help Request System?

Please refer to our Staff Directory page to email or call us and get help logging in. Be sure to login with your lifesci account username and password.

Does It Cost Money to Ask a Simple Question?

No! We are here to help all of our users and we want you to come to us any time you have a problem. If it's something we can answer quickly or can direct you to the resources you need, we'll do that free of charge. If we need to send a technician to look at a problem there may or may not be a charge involved (see our Policies page for more information) but asking questions is always free.

Are There General Use Networked Printers?

Refer to Desktop Support page.

Can a Computer With a Foreign Operating System Be on the GRIT Networks?

Unfortunately, we no longer allow computers with solely foreign operating systems to be connected to the GRIT Networks after dealing with catastrophic failures on multiple systems and a limited level of confidence in being able to help them back up, etc. Many modern operating systems can be configured to provide an English interface alongside the foreign one, which would allow their connection to the GRIT Networks. If you have a modern system with a single language installed, please contact us for details on how to add an English language pack to your system before we network it.

What is a Hostname?

The hostname is the name by which the server recognizes a networked device (i.e., computer, printer, etc.). An example of a printer hostname is: myCoolName.grit.ucsb.edu

How Can I Tell You How You're Doing Without Your Knowing It's Me?

We're here to help our users and it's crucial that we know how we're doing. If you have feedback for us (good or bad), please use the Anonymous Feedback Form. It will be read by management staff only. Thank you in advance for your help in improving our services!

What is File Sharing? How Can I Access My GRIT Home Directory?

The purpose of file sharing is to work off data stored in a secure location that is backed up by the departmental server. This prevents extra work by staff as they no longer need to physically back up their data. Everyone with a GRIT Unix account has a particular area of the server dedicated for their personal use. In addition, administrative staff are given access to areas on the server based on their job function. This allows others to share files and makes it easy to assign/remove access as job functions evolve. Access to these areas is determined by the the IT Director. You will need to know your Unix account username and password to access this portion of the server. Please refer to our tutorial on how to access your home directory.

Generally, files are stored at /home/<username> and /home/<projectname>

Why Did I Receive An Email That Message Was Undelivered Even Though I Did Not Send Email to This Person?

There's no need to be alarmed. It's not uncommon for people sending spam to "spoof" the sending address in an attempt to fool anti-spam software and unsuspecting users. This leads to people receiving messages claiming to be from you and sometimes in messages being sent to old, closed addresses claiming to be from you. In the latter case, the message would be bounced back to the "sender" and you would receive a notice that the message was not delivered. There's really nothing you can do other than to delete the message and move on.