HUNT Workbench installation

This guide will help you to connect to your HUNT Workbench over a web browser.

• 1. Before you start
• 2. Edit your hosts file
• 3. Install your certificates
• 4. Open your HUNT Workbench
• Immediate troubleshooting

Check your onboarding email for Lab access link

We recommend that you follow the tailored guide in Lab access link for setting up Workbench access instead of this generic guide.

1. Before you start

You will need the following to complete this guide:

Requirements

• A working VPN and SSH configuration as described in our Getting started guide.
• A HUNT Workbench TLS certificate as described in the HUNT Workbench certificate request.

Without these it's impossible to complete this guide.

Time

Allow for 30 minutes to complete this installation and some playtime in your new environment.

2. Edit your hosts file

First, let's set up your hosts file on your local computer. This allows you to connect to HUNT Workbench in your lab using a URL name, for example demolab.lab.hdc.ntnu.no, in your web-browser.

Select steps for your operating system:

Windows

1. Press the Windows key.

2. Type Notepad in the search field.

3. In the search results, right-click Notepad and select Run as administrator.

   

   

4. From Notepad, open the following file: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts.

   Start by selecting File > Open.

   

   Then find the (1.) directory and change Text documents to view (2) All files. When a file named hosts appears in the list (3), select it and click Open (4):

   

5. Add your hosts record to the text file. This is the line that you received from us in your HUNT Workbench onboarding email (look for Lab access link).

6. Select File > Save to save your changes and close the Notepad application.

OS X and macOS

1. On your local computer, open your /etc/hosts file in your preferred text editor.

Example with text editor:

EDITOR='open -Wne' sudo -e /etc/hosts

Example with vim:

sudo vim /etc/hosts

2. Add (append) the hosts record line that you received from us on email (look for Lab access link).

3. Close your text editor.

Ubuntu Linux

1. On your local computer, open your /etc/hosts file in your preferred text editor.

Example with gedit:

sudo gedit /etc/hosts

Example with vim:

sudo vim /etc/hosts

2. Add (append) the hosts record line that you received from us on email (look for Lab access link).

3. Close your text editor.

3. Install your certificates

Let's install the certificates that is required to allow traffic with your HUNT Workbench that is located in your lab.

Windows

1. Open your p12 certificate that you downloaded from FileSender. Make sure the store location is set to Current User and click Next:

   

2. Click Next one more time.

   

3. Fill in the TLS passphrase that you received on signal, and make sure the options are checked exactly as in the image. Then click Next:

   

4. Check the first option: Automatically select the certificate store based on the type of certificate. Click Next:

   

5. You should now get a Completing the Certificate Import Wizard message. Click Finish to complete the import:

   

6. The wizard will require a confirmation to install a certification from us: HCTS CA 1 (HUNT Cloud Trust Services). Our certificate is required to safely access your workbench environment.

   You will normally be asked to confirm our certificate only when you set up the HUNT Workbench for the first time. Thus, if you see LAB instead of HCTS CA 1 skip to step 7.

   Before clicking YES, confirm that you see our thumbprint (fingerprint):

   ADD9DFEC C998BE44 AC2F254E 75E5EB98 D91879A6
   

   

7. Similar to Step 6, you will also need to install a certificate for your lab (Lab CA), where your Lab name should appear. Click YES.

   

8. Now quit your browser and restart it for the certificate to get recognized.

   

macOS Ventura 13+

1. Open your system profile config file that you got from FileSender (<your_user_name>.mobileconfig).

2. In System settings open section Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom of the page and select Profiles

   

3. Select certificate required for installation.

   

4. Click Install when prompted. Then enter the TLS passphrase that you received on Signal and confirm.

   

5. Quit your browser and restart it again for the certificate to get recognized.

6. When you open your HUNT Workbench for the first time you will be asked for your local macOS password. This allows the browser to access your client certificate stored in your local Keychain. After filling in the password, confirm by clicking Always allow / Tillat alltid.

   

macOS Monterey and older

1. Open your system profile config file that you got from FileSender (<your_user_name>.mobileconfig).

2. In System Preferences open section Profiles.

   NTNU managed MacBook

   If your MacBook is managed by NTNU and you do not see section Profiles in your System Preferences you will need to request access to Profile through NTNU Hjelp. If you are not NTNU affiliated, can contact your IT department for assistance.

3. Click Continue to confirm your profile installation.

   

4. Enter the TLS passphrase that you received on Signal and the click Install to confirm.

   

5. Quit your browser and restart it again for the certificate to get recognized.

6. When you open your HUNT Workbench for the first time you will be asked for your local macOS password. This allows the browser to access your client certificate stored in your local Keychain. After filling in the password, confirm by clicking Always allow / Tillat alltid.

   

Ubuntu Linux

We recommend that you use the Google Chrome browser (opens new window) for predictable access to your HUNT Workbench.

1. Open Google Chrome on your local computer.

2. Download our public CA certificate from https://pki.hdc.ntnu.no/hctsca1.crt (opens new window)

3. In Google Chrome, open the URL chrome://settings/certificates and navigate to section Authorities then click the Import button on the right side of the screen to import hctsca1.crt certificate file. Select first option Trust this certificate for identifying websites.

4. Within chrome://settings/certificates navigate to section Your certificates and click the Import button on the right side of the screen.

5. Browse and select your .p12 file that you downloaded to your local computer, and enter the TLS passphrase that we sent you on Signal.

6. Restart Chrome.

4. Open your HUNT Workbench

TIP

Make sure you are connected to the VPN before you access your HUNT Workbench.

1. Open your web browser (we recommend Google Chrome browser (opens new window)).

2. Type in the URL address to your lab in your browser.

# -- Principal example
https://<labname>.lab.hdc.ntnu.no

# -- Demo example
https://demolab.lab.hdc.ntnu.no

You may get a User Identification Request for your new certificate. Verify that the certificates are issued by:

Organization: "HUNT Cloud"
Issued Under: "HUNT Cloud Trust Services"

Ensure that the Remember this decision box is checked, and click OK.

3. Sign in with your HUNT Cloud lab username and lab passphrase. This is the passphrase that you made on your first login.

4. With a little bit of luck you should now see your new HUNT Workbench. Click around and explore your new world!

Further reading

See our HUNT Workbench principles section to learn more about your new environment. For more practical advises on how to install your Python/R packages head over to Workbench FAQ.

Immediate troubleshooting

This section includes issues that you might encounter during your first setup. See our HUNT Workbench FAQ and HUNT Workbench Troubleshooting if you do not find your answers below.

This site can't be reached

Read more

If you are getting DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error you need to repeat the Step 2 of this guide.

On MacOS or Linux you can also assure hosts return IP address using the command below:

# -- Principal example
getent hosts <labname>.lab.hdc.ntnu.no

# -- Demo example
getent hosts demolab.lab.hdc.ntnu.no

I don't remember my passphrase

Read more

Don't worry. Request a SSH passphrase rest in our do-science service desk.

Firefox - Did Not Connect

Read more

(We recommend to use Google Chrome as your HUNT Workbench browser.)

Firefox may require that you manually import the HUNT Cloud Certificate Authority to consider it trusted.

If you see Error code: SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER when accessing Workbench follow these steps:

1. Download our public CA certificate from https://pki.hdc.ntnu.no/hctsca1.crt (opens new window)

2. Open the following Firefox URL: about:preferences#privacy

3. Scroll down to section Certificates and click on View Certificates.

   

4. Switch to tab Authorities and click on Import.

   

5. Select hctsca1.crt and check option Trust this CA to identify websites.

   

Chrome on Ubuntu

Read more

If you are getting ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID error:

1. In Google Chrome, open the URL chrome://settings/certificates and navigate to section Authorities

2. Search for HUNT Cloud certificates (org-HUNT Cloud Trust Services)

3. Edit the HCTS CA 1 certificate and select first option Trust this certificate for identifying websites.

502 Bad gateway

Read more

A 502 Bad gateway error is an indication that something is wrong with the configuration on the server side. Contact us in your lab channel on Slack or email further investigations.