Tutorials

Learn DAIC from the ground up

These tutorials take you from first login to running GPU workloads. Each tutorial builds on the previous one, so we recommend following them in order.

flowchart TB
    subgraph local["YOUR COMPUTER"]
        L1["Write code, prepare data"]
    end

    subgraph login["LOGIN NODE - daic01.hpc.tudelft.nl"]
        L2["Prepare scripts"]
        L3["Submit jobs (sbatch)"]
        L4["Monitor jobs (squeue)"]
        L5["Transfer data (scp, rsync)"]
        L6["DO NOT run computations here!"]
    end

    subgraph compute["COMPUTE NODES - gpu01...gpu45"]
        C1["Run training scripts"]
        C2["Access GPUs (L40, A40, RTX Pro 6000)"]
        C3["Process large datasets"]
    end

    subgraph storage["STORAGE"]
        S1["/home - 5 MB, config only"]
        S2["~/linuxhome - ~30 GB, personal files"]
        S3["staff-umbrella - Project data"]
    end

    local -->|SSH| login
    login -->|Slurm| compute
    compute --> storage

The learning path

Which tutorial do I need?

I just got access to DAIC → Start with Bash Basics, then Slurm Basics

I know Linux but not clusters → Start with Slurm Basics

My code needs specific packages/versions → Read Apptainer to containerize your environment

I need to edit files on the cluster → Learn Vim for efficient editing over SSH

What you’ll be able to do

After completing these tutorials, you’ll be able to:

1. Log into DAIC and navigate the filesystem
2. Organize your projects with proper directory structures
3. Transfer data between your computer and the cluster
4. Submit batch jobs that run overnight
5. Request GPUs for deep learning training
6. Run parameter sweeps with job arrays
7. Package complex environments in containers
8. Edit files directly on the cluster

Getting help

• Stuck on a command? Try man command or command --help
• Cluster-specific questions? See our FAQs
• Something broken? Contact support

Tutorial format

Each tutorial follows the same structure:

• What you’ll learn - Clear objectives
• Prerequisites - What you need to know first
• Time - Approximate duration
• Hands-on exercises - Practice as you learn
• Summary - Key takeaways
• What’s next - Where to go from here

Now let’s get started with Bash Basics.