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Jupyter on Jetstream2

You can run Jupyter on Jetstream2 in two ways:

  1. Web Desktop (graphical desktop in the browser). Fastest way to get started if you want a full desktop UI. Requires enabling the Web Desktop when you create the instance.
  2. Remote (web shell or SSH). Run Jupyter directly in a terminal and connect from your local browser. This method DOES NOT require enabling the Web Desktop.

Choose the Web Desktop if you need a graphical environment (file manager, other GUI tools). Choose the Remote method if you prefer a lighter setup, are comfortable in a terminal, or forgot to enable the Web Desktop at launch.

Quick Comparison

Feature Web Desktop Remote (web shell / SSH)
Needs Web Desktop enabled at launch Yes No
Uses instance internal browser Yes No (uses your local browser)
Extra firewall steps (Rocky9) No (local desktop session) Yes (open port 8888)
Good for GUI tools beyond Jupyter Yes Limited to terminal
Lower resource overhead Medium Slightly lower

Method 1: Web Desktop (browser-based graphical environment)

Prerequisites: * Launch your instance via Exosphere * Ensure you selected the Web Desktop option during creation (see the create instance guide).

Use this when you: * Want the quickest path to a ready-to-use Jupyter desktop environment. * Need other graphical tools (file manager, editors, browsers) alongside Jupyter. * Already enabled the Web Desktop during instance creation and prefer an all-in-browser workflow.

Steps: 1. Open the instance in Exosphere. 2. Start a Web Desktop session. 3. Open a terminal inside the Web Desktop. 4. Load the appropriate module and start Jupyter:

module load miniforge
jupyter lab
Loads the Miniforge module, then launches JupyterLab in the built‑in browser.

module load anaconda
jupyter notebook
Loads the Anaconda module, then launches the classic Jupyter Notebook interface.

module load anaconda
jupyter notebook
Loads the Anaconda module, then launches the classic Jupyter Notebook interface.

You should see a browser window (inside the Web Desktop) open automatically. If it does not, copy the tokenized URL printed in the terminal and paste it into the Web Desktop browser.

Method 2: Remote (web shell or SSH) — no Web Desktop needed

Prerequisites: * Instance is running and reachable via SSH or the Exosphere web shell. * Ability to copy URLs from the terminal into your local browser. * Rocky9 only: sudo access to update the firewall the first time you open the port.

Use this when you: * Did not enable (or do not want) the Web Desktop. * Prefer to connect from your own local browser directly. * Are working over a plain SSH session or the Exosphere web shell.

How it works: We provide a helper script jupyter-ip.sh that discovers the VM’s public IP and injects it into the Jupyter URL. A VM does not inherently know its public IP, so this script saves you from manually editing the URL.

Steps: 1. Open an Exosphere web shell OR SSH into the instance from your local machine. 2. Load the module for your OS image. 3. Run jupyter-ip.sh (it launches Jupyter and prints a URL with a security token). 4. Copy the final line containing the public IP (e.g., http://149.165.xxx.xxx:8888/?token=...) into your local machine’s browser.

module load miniforge
jupyter-ip.sh

module load anaconda
jupyter-ip.sh

module load anaconda
jupyter-ip.sh
# Open the port in the firewall (one-time setup)
sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=8888/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports | grep 8888

Expected tail of the output (example):

To access the notebook, open this file in a browser:
    file:///home/exouser/.local/share/jupyter/runtime/nbserver-100997-open.html
Or copy and paste one of these URLs:
    http://neatly-trusting-chow-gui:8888/?token=723fa5a01f6dc27b0ec655846572513757e921aaf247cbb7
 or http://149.165.154.8:8888/?token=723fa5a01f6dc27b0ec655846572513757e921aaf247cbb7

Use the last line (the one with the numeric public IP) in your local browser.

Notes & Tips

  • Security: The token in the URL acts as an access key. Anyone with that full URL can access the session until you stop Jupyter.
  • Stopping Jupyter: Press Ctrl+C twice in the terminal running it.
  • Different port: If 8888 is in use, Jupyter will auto-increment (8889, 8890, …). The script will still show the correct URL.
  • JupyterLab vs Notebook: You can usually substitute jupyter lab for a richer interface if the module provides it (e.g., after module load miniforge). The helper script focuses on simplifying the URL, not forcing a UI.

If you started with the Web Desktop but later prefer the remote approach, simply close the Web Desktop session and follow Method 2 in a terminal.