Running Mathematica on Firebird

Mathematica can be run on Firebird in three ways: interactively via a GUI or interactively on the command line.

Running Interactively with a GUI / Virtual Desktop

Mathematica can be run interactively in two ways. The preferred way is through a virtual desktop with Open OnDemand, though X11 on a local system is another option.

Open OnDemand

Typically the best option to run Mathematica interactively with a GUI is to use Open OnDemand. Follow the steps outlined here to launch a virtual desktop through Open OnDemand. Open a terminal and load the Mathematica module:

module load mathematica

To launch MATLAB:

WolframNB

X11

It is also possible to launch a GUI interface from your local system via SSH/X11, though this is typically substantially less performant than using a virtual desktop through Open OnDemand. Instructions for doing so differ depending on your system’s operating system.

macOS and Linux Users

On a Mac, you may need to install XQuartz if it isn't already on your system: https://www.xquartz.org/

Windows

If using Windows, first configure X11 depending on your client.

Once X11 support is configured, whether using Mac, Linux, or Windows, connect via SSH, request time on a node, making sure to pass the --x11 flag (adjust options as needed), and launch Mathematica:

ssh -XYC username@firebird.swarthmore.edu
[user@firebird ~]$ salloc -t 60 --cpus-per-task=1 --mem-per-cpu=32gb --partition=unowned --x11
WolframNB

The GUI interface should then open locally.

Command Line

To use Mathematica interactively through a command line, connect to Firebird via SSH. Load the module, connect to a compute node, and then launch Mathematica:

salloc -t 60 --cpus-per-task=1 --mem-per-cpu=32gb --partition=unowned
module load mathematica
math