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{{Short description|Software to modify a shell environment during a session}}
{{
{{Infobox
| name = Environment Modules
| logo = Environment_Modules_logo.svg
| latest_release_version = 5.6.0
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2025|07|31}}
| operating_system = [[Unix-like]]
| programming_language = [[Tcl]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License#Version 2]]
| website = {{URL|
}}
The '''Environment Modules''' system is a [[software tool]] designed to help users dynamically modify their [[shell (computing)|shell]] environment. It provides a mechanism for managing and switching between sets of [[environment variable]] settings, often used to configure different software packages, compilers, and libraries.
== Development ==
Modules has been around since the early 1990s<ref>{{cite journal |last=Furlani |first=John L. |date=September 30 – October 3, 1991 |title=Modules: Providing a Flexible User Environment |url=https://modules.sourceforge.net/docs/Modules-Paper.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the Fifth Large Installation Systems Administration Conference (LISA V) |___location=San Diego, CA |pages=141–152 |access-date=9 February 2014}}</ref> and is used at some of the largest computer centers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nics.tennessee.edu/computing-resources/kraken/modules |title=NICS User Support Kraken Modules Description |date=22 May 2011 |website=The National Institute for Computational Sciences (NICS) |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Department of Energy |access-date=9 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222062335/http://www.nics.tennessee.edu/computing-resources/kraken/modules |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref> to deploy multiple versions of different software tools to users. The [[National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center]] (NERSC) reports that they use Environment Modules to manage nearly all software.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nersc.gov/users/software/nersc-user-environment/modules/ |title=NERSC Modules Software Environment |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2014-02-07 <!--15:11:50--> |website=The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) |publisher=Office of Science - Department of Energy |access-date=19 February 2014}}</ref> Environment Modules is specified as a Baseline Configuration requirement of the [[DoD]] [[High Performance Computing Modernization Program]] (HPCMP)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://centers.hpc.mil/consolidated/bc/policies.php?choice=modules |title=Use of Modules for Accessing Multiple Versions of Software |date=20 Mar 2008 |website=Baseline Configuration |publisher=DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) |access-date=9 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222063501/http://centers.hpc.mil/consolidated/bc/policies.php?choice=modules |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref> Project Baseline Configuration<ref>{{cite web|url=http://centers.hpc.mil/consolidated/bc/index.php |title=DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program Baseline Configuration |website=Baseline Configuration |publisher=DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) |access-date=9 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222063504/http://centers.hpc.mil/consolidated/bc/index.php |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref> team for participating DoD Supercomputing Resource Centers (DSRCs).
== Modulefiles ==
The modules system is based on modulefiles,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://modules.readthedocs.io/en/stable/modulefile.html |title=modulefile |date=31 July 2025 |website=Read the Docs }}</ref> which specify groups of environment settings that need to be made together. Modulefiles can be installed in a central ___location for general use, or in a user directory for personal use. Environment Modules modulefiles are written in the [[Tcl]] (Tool Command Language) and are interpreted by the modulecmd program via the module<ref>{{cite web |url=https://modules.readthedocs.io/en/stable/module.html |title=module |date=31 July 2025 |website=Read the Docs }}</ref> user interface.
The key advantage of Environment Modules is that it is shell independent and supports all major shells such as [[Bash (Unix shell)|Bash]] (bash), [[KornShell]] (ksh), [[Z shell]] (zsh), [[Fish (Unix shell)|Fish]] (fish), [[Bourne shell]] (sh), [[tcsh]], and [[C shell]] (csh). The second key advantage is that it allows to use multiple versions of the program or package from the same account by just loading proper module. Those two advantages were instrumental in making Environment Modules a part of most HPC cluster setups. It also inspired several alternative implementation such as lmod from University of Texas, which is written in [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]] instead of Tcl.
Modulefiles are created on per application per version basis. They can be dynamically loaded, unloaded, or switched. Along with the capability of using multiple versions of the same software it also can be used to implement site policies regarding the access and use of applications.
=== Default modulefiles directory ===
The default modules search path is in a hidden configuration file you can display with:
{{sxhl|2=console|
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=== Add your own modules to the path ===
The {{mono|${MODULESHOME}/modulefiles/'''use.own'''}} module essentially performs these steps:
{{sxhl|2=bash|
}}
=== Use a version file within a hierarchical organization ===
The commands in this section require read/write/execute access to the {{Mono|/etc/modulefiles}} directory. The {{Mono|$HOME/privatemodules}} or another directory can be used instead along with "{{Mono|module use --append}}" or modification of the configuration file specifying the default modules search path.
The default {{Mono|modulefiles}} directory is empty initially. Copy the null module to the default modulefiles directory to have it shown by "module avail". The following uses the null and module-info modules to show use of a version file within a hierarchical organization and their effect on module avail and module show:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
mkdir /etc/modulefiles/test
cp ${MODULESHOME}/modulefiles/null /etc/modulefiles/test/2.0
cp ${MODULESHOME}/modulefiles/module-info /etc/modulefiles/test/1.0
module avail
module show test
</syntaxhighlight>
Set the first version as the default:
<
</syntaxhighlight>
Switch to the newer version as the default with:
<
</syntaxhighlight>
After the above following a fresh install from source you would see:
<
$ module avail
Line 117 ⟶ 118:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-------------------------------------------------------------------
</syntaxhighlight>
== Automatic modules initialization ==
Environment Modules on [[Scientific Linux]], [[CentOS]], and [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] distributions in the environment-modules package include {{mono|modules.csh}} and {{mono|modules.sh}} scripts for the {{mono|/etc/profile.d}} directory that make modules initialization part of the default shell initialization. One of the advantages of Environment Modules is a single modulefile that supports bash, ksh, zsh, sh as well as tcsh and csh shell users for environment setup and initialization. This makes managing complex environments a bit less complicated.
For a source build the automation for all users can be manually configured.
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{{mono|/etc/profile.d/modules.sh}} from the {{mono|etc/global/profile.modules}} file in the 3.2.10 modules build directory.
<
case "$0" in
-bash|bash|*/bash) . /usr/local/Modules/default/init/bash ;;
-ksh|ksh|*/ksh) . /usr/local/Modules/default/init/ksh ;;
-zsh|zsh|*/zsh) . /usr/local/Modules/default/init/zsh ;;
*) . /usr/local/Modules/default/init/sh ;; # default
esac
trap 1 2 3
</syntaxhighlight>
Copy the {{mono|etc/global/profile.modules}} file from the 3.2.10 modules build directory to the system initialization directory:
<syntaxhighlight lang="console">
$ sudo cp etc/global/profile.modules /etc/profile.d/modules.sh
</syntaxhighlight>
Add a version 3.2.10 symbolic link for the above generic addresses:
<syntaxhighlight lang="console">
</syntaxhighlight>
=== tcsh, csh automatic modules initialization ===
A {{mono|/etc/profile.d/modules.csh}} symbolic link to the {{mono|etc/global/profile.modules}} file in the 3.2.10 modules build directory can enable automatic modules initialization for these users.
== Installing on Linux==
=== yum and rpm ===
On Scientific Linux, CentOS, and RHEL distributions Environment Modules is in the environment-modules package which can be installed with:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
sudo yum install environment-modules
</syntaxhighlight>
Once installed the package information can be viewed with:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
rpm -ql environment-modules
</syntaxhighlight>
=== apt and dpkg ===
On [[Ubuntu]] or systems using [[apt-get]], Environment Modules can be installed with:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
sudo apt-get install environment-modules
</syntaxhighlight>
Once installed the package information can be viewed with:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
dpkg -L environment-modules
</syntaxhighlight>
===
Although installing from a [[Linux distributions]] repository using that distributions update manager is the easiest the software can be installed from source. Resolve dependencies is the most difficult task for an installation from source. The typical configure, make, install cycle can become painfully slow as each configure improvement reveals another dependency not available in your default environment. This section includes the steps to install the Environment Modules package on source including compiling the Tcl from source as a dependency.<ref>http://nickgeoghegan.net/linux/installing-environment-modules</ref>
==== 8.6.1 version of Tcl built from /usr/local/src ====
Although the [[PCLinuxOS]] 64-bit repositories include Tcl they do not include a development package with the configuration files required to build Environment Modules on Linux from source. Building Tcl from source will make the required files available.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/tcl/files/Tcl/ | title=TCL - Browse /TCL at SourceForge.net }}</ref>
Extract source after downloading
{{sxhl|2=bash|
}}
Configure, make, install
{{sxhl|2=bash|
}}
==== 3.2.10 version of modules built from /usr/local/src ====
Extract source after downloading
{{sxhl|2=bash|
}}
Configure, make, install
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sudo make install
}}
== References ==
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== External links ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* {{Official website|https://modules.sourceforge.net/}}
* {{GitHub|envmodules/modules}}
* John L. Furlani, [https://modules.sourceforge.net/docs/Modules-Paper.pdf Modules: Providing a Flexible User Environment] ''Proceedings of the Fifth Large Installation Systems Administration Conference (LISA V)'', pp. 141–152, San Diego, CA, September 30 - October 3, 1991.
* http://lmod.sourceforge.net - alternative implementation using Lua instead of Tcl
* http://www.lysator.liu.se/cmod/ - alternative implementation using C only
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140203041538/http://rcc.its.psu.edu/user_guides/system_utilities/modules/ PennState Environment Modules User Guide]
* [https://modules.sourceforge.net/docs/MC2_whitney_paper.pdf Drag your design environment kicking and screaming into the '90s with Modules!] - SNUB Boston 2001 - Erich Whitney, Axiowave Networks, Mark Sprague, ATI Research
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150217180220/https://www.xsede.org/software-environments Xsede Software Environments]. The Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment ― National Science Foundation
* [http://www.nics.tennessee.edu/computing-resources/modules NICS Modules Description] ― The National Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory ― Department of Energy
* [https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/research-development/tacc-projects/lmod Lmod] ― [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]]-based module system
* [https://spack.io/ Spack] ― Package Manager for HPC Software developed at [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in Tcl]]
[[Category:Unix software]]
[[Category:Science software]]
[[Category:System administration]]
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