MT M2/Rotator/Hexapods/Dome EUI Access

Overview

This document explain how to access the M2, Camera Rotator, Camera / M2 Hexapod, and Dome EUI.

Prerequisites

To access the EUIs, the user must have the following credentials:

• Added to the hexrot and saluser IPA groups.

• Access to the hexrot‑vm01.cp.lsst.org virtual machine.

To request access, please file a Jira ticket in the IT Helpdesk Support page project.

Setup to access the MT-M2/Rotator/Hexapods/Dome EUI

1. Safety check – Verify no one else is using the subsystem’s EUI. Be mindful that another session may be open, and mouse motions or commands will come from another user. Consult the relevant Slack channels:

   • M2 – #m2‑worklog

   • Hexapods & Rotators – #hexrot‑worklog

   • MT Dome – #mtdome‑worklog

2. Announce your intention to issue commands in the appropriate channel.

3. Clear browser cache for ls.st to avoid loading stale links. If this is your first connection, use the URL that points to hexrot‑vm01.cp.lsst.org. The link will get you to the vcenter.cp.lsst.org. After typing your IPA credentials, you can log in to the virtual machine. From the control room linux machine use ssh -Y and run the command to access the EUIs.

Connecting to the MT-M2/Rotator/Hexapods/Dome-EUI

1. Log in to the virtual machine

   • If you can see a password input window for another person, click the button on the bottom-right.

   

   • Find your name and select your IPA login credentials on the list. Click “Not listed” if there is not your name on the list. And then enter your username without @lsst.org

   

   • Then enter your IPA password.

2. Open a terminal. Click Activities → Terminal (icon in the centre of the bottom menu).

   

   

Launching the EUI

1. Run the appropriate EUI command. All GUIs reside under /rubin:

   # M2 GUI
   /rubin/mtm2/python
   
   # Rotator GUI
   /rubin/rotator/python
   
   # Hexapod GUI
   /rubin/hexapod/python
   
   # MT Dome GUI
   /rubin/dome/python
   

Once you have opened the appropriate EUI Python shell program, the command line should look similar to the following layout: (py311) [(username)@hexrot-vm01 ~]$.

2. Use one of the following terminal commands to access the appropriate EUI:

   • M2 EUI – run_m2gui

   • Camera Rotator EUI – run_rotgui

   • Camera Hexapod EUI – run_hexgui 1

   • M2 Hexapod EUI – run_hexgui 2

   • MT Dome EUI – run_mtdomegui

Command‑line help

$ run_rotgui -h     # display help for Rotator GUI
$ run_hexgui -h     # display help for Hexapod GUI

Simulation Mode

If you wish to practice without affecting the live system, launch any EUI with the -s flag.

$ run_rotgui -s     # start Rotator EUI in simulation mode

Handling another user’s active session

If a process is already running, identify its owner and request permission before terminating it.

# Check if M2 EUI is running
$ ps -aux | grep run_m2gui

# Check if Camera Rotator EUI is running
$ ps -aux | grep run_rotgui

# Check if Camera Hexapod EUI is running
$ ps -aux | grep run_hexgui

# Check if Dome EUI is running
$ ps -aux | grep run_mtdomegui

# To forcibly close a session (use with care!)
$ sudo kill -9 <PID>

<PID> is the process ID returned by the ps command. If an active session is running, running another will result in an EUI that will close in about 30 seconds or not connect.

Closing the EUI

After finishing, select Exit from the menu and close the session. Then click Lock (top‑right) to end your session.

This procedure was last modified on Sep 11, 2025.