Software Modules

Axon uses a system of environmental modules, specifically using a piece of software called lmod, which allows people to specify the version of the program they want to run enabling the cluster to seamlessly have multiple versions of a single program. Below is an example of how it works.

Python before and after loading a module

[aa3301@axon ~]$ python --version
Python 2.7.5
[aa3301@axon ~]$ which python
/usr/bin/python
[aa3301@axon ~]$ ml anaconda3-2019.03
[aa3301@axon ~]$ python --version
Python 3.7.3
[aa3301@axon ~]$ which python
/share/apps/anaconda3-2019.03/bin/python

In the example above when we login and run python we get the default system python, but if we run ml (which can also be run as module load) and load anaconda we get a much newer version with a bunch of modules already installed.

More module commands

[aa3301@axon ~]$ ml

Currently Loaded Modules:
  1) anaconda3-2019.03

[aa3301@axon ~]$ ml av

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /share/modulefiles/manual ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   anaconda3-2019.03 (L)    cuda@10.0.130    cuda@10.1.168    cuda@9.2.88    cudnn@7.3.0    cudnn@7.5.1-10.0    cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.0    cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.1

  Where:
   L:  Module is loaded

Use "module spider" to find all possible modules.
Use "module keyword key1 key2 ..." to search for all possible modules matching any of the "keys".

Running the ml (or module list) will show you the currently loaded modules, and ml av (or module avail) will show you the available modules to load.

Use tab completion to navigate the modules

[aa3301@axon ~]$ ml
add                  cuda@10.0.130        cudnn@7.3.0          cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.1  keyword              purge                save                 spider               unuse                whatis
anaconda3-2019.03    cuda@10.1.168        cudnn@7.5.1-10.0     delete               list                 restore              show                 swap                 update
avail                cuda@9.2.88          cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.0  help                 load                 rm                   sl                   unload               use
[aa3301@axon ~]$ module load cud
cuda@10.0.130        cuda@10.1.168        cuda@9.2.88          cudnn@7.3.0          cudnn@7.5.1-10.0     cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.0  cudnn@7.6.1.34-10.1

The ml alias is convenient shortcut to most commands. If you type ml and press tab it will show you all the possible completion the same is true of the module load command.