Troubleshooting

Why am I having trouble logging in?
How do I free up space?
Why doesn't the computer seem to be working?
Why can't I access the CD-ROM drive?
How do I empty the trash?
How do I lower the maximum mozilla cache?

Why am I having trouble logging in?
This problem may be related to the disk quota. To check your quota:

First, log in on a terminal either by pressing "CTRL+ALT+F1" in the labs or remotely using PuTTY or SSH.
After logging in, use the command
```
     quota -v 
```
to check how much of your disk quota you are currently using. If blocks is close to or greater than quota, follow the instructions under How do I free up space?.
Logout and try to log in again. If you are in the lab and pressed "CTRL+ALT+F1", press "CTRL+ALT+F7".

How do I free up space?

First, locate files and directories that are taking up a lot of space.
Look for large directories using the command
```
     find-big-files
```
from your home directory.
Go to one of the large directories using
```
     cd directory
```
where directory is one of the large directories found in the above step. Use the command
```
     ls -l
```
to look for large single files. The size is the number next to the date.
Remove any files or directories that are not needed, especially those taking up large amounts of space, with the command
```
     rm file
```
or
```
     rm -r directory
```
where file or directory are the names of the file or directory you wish to remove.
Check your disk quota after removing files with
```
     quota -v
```

Why doesn't the computer seem to be working?
Please do not touch the computer's power button.

It is possible that the monitor's power cable may have come loose. Check if the
monitor is powered on. If not, and it will not power on, ensure that the
monitor's power cable is secure.

Why can't I access the CD-ROM drive?

You may have entered your username in the incorrect case.
For example, if your username is

     foobar

you must enter it in that fashion. Entering variations such as

     FooBar

and

     FoObAr

may cause problems. Please ensure that you have entered your username in the correct case.

How do I empty the trash?
When you remove files through the GUI, the files are sent to the trash folder. Even though you remved the files, they are still taking up space. The trash can be viewed and emptied through the command line or the GUI.

To view the contents of the trash and to empty it through the command line, navigate to the .Trash folder. From your home directory,

Change to the trash directory with
```
     cd .Trash
```
View the files along with their attributes with
```
     ls -l
```
You can remove individual files with the command
```
    rm file
```
here file is the name of the file you wish to remove. You may also remove all of the files within trash with
```
     rm *
```

You can also view the contents of the trash and empty it through the GUI. There should be a trash icon located on the Desktop. By default, it is located on the bottom-right hand corner of the screen. Double-click on the icon in order to view its contents. To empty the trash, right click on the icon, and select "Empty Trash" from the context menu.

It is possible to delete files through the GUI without sending them to the trash by holding down shift while deleting a file.

How do I lower the maximum mozilla cache?
Mozilla keeps a cache of pages you view for faster viewing later on. While this speeds up your web browsing, it also takes up space. Currently, the default value for the maximum cache size is 50 MB. If you are continuously running low on disk space, consider lowering this value.

Launch firefox, and open Firefox Preferences by going to the "edit" menu and selecting "Preferences". Select the "cache" tab on the right, and edit the value there. You can also clear your cache here.

Troubleshooting

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