.. _start:

Getting Started
===============


Welcome to the CoSTAR cluster! This guide can be your roadmap to getting up and running on the GPU-accelerated cluster for creative technologies, virtual production, and AI/ML.

If you are new to High Performance Computing (HPC), the sheer volume of documentation can be overwhelming.

Follow the steps below to go from learning the basics to running your very first job.


The New User Journey
--------------------

Explore the following pages first to get started on the cluster.

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   :margin: 3


   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`mortar-board` Self-guided Onboarding Course
      :link: tutorials-onboarding-index
      :link-type: ref

      A step-by-step introduction to the CoSTAR high performance computing cluster for beginners.


   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`sign-in`  Log In
      :link: start-login
      :link-type: ref

      Connect via the beginner-friendly Open OnDemand web portal or via traditional SSH.


   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`database` Manage Your Data
      :link: cluster-storage
      :link-type: ref

      Learn about quotas and where to store your code and data.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`play` Run Your First Job
      :link: tutorials-examples-index
      :link-type: ref

      Head to the tutorials section to copy a "Hello World" template and submit your first test job to the queue.




Signposts & Next Steps
----------------------

Once you have the basics down, explore these key areas to level up your CoSTAR skills and tailor the cluster to your specific workload:

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   :class-row: surface

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`package` Software & Containers
      :link: cluster-software
      :link-type: ref

      Learn how to run and manage software on the cluster.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`server` The SLURM Scheduler
      :link: cluster-scheduler
      :link-type: ref

      Learn how to write advanced batch scripts and request specific GPU types.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`comment-discussion` Getting Help
      :link: available-support
      :link-type: ref

      Find out what kinds of support are available.