Environment Modules (software): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:25, 12 January 2025

Revision as of 01:14, 13 January 2025

Line 11:

| website = {{URL|https://modules.sourceforge.net/}}

}}

The '''Environment Modules''' system is a [[software tool|tool]] to help users manage their [[Unix]] or [[Linux]] [[shell (computing)|shell]] environment, by allowing groups of related [[environment-variable]] settings to be made or removed dynamically.

== 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=http://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).

== modulefilesModulefiles ==

The modules system is based on modulefiles,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://modules.sourceforge.net/man/modulefile.html |title=modulefile - files containing Tcl code for the Modules package |author=John L. Furlani & Peter W. Osel |date=July 2009 |website=SourceForge |publisher=man page |access-date=9 February 2014}}</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| Tcl]] (Tool Command Language)]] and are interpreted by the modulecmd program via the module<ref>{{cite web |url=http://modules.sourceforge.net/man/module.html |title=module - command interface to the Modules package |author=John L. Furlani & Peter W. Osel |date=July 2009 |website=SourceForge |publisher=man page |access-date=9 February 2014}}</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)|bashBash]] (bash), [[KornShell|ksh]] (ksh), [[Z shell|zsh]] (zsh), [[Bourne shell]] (sh), [[tcsh]], and [[C shell|csh]] (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]].

The modules system is based on modulefiles,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://modules.sourceforge.net/man/modulefile.html |title=modulefile - files containing Tcl code for the Modules package |author=John L. Furlani & Peter W. Osel |date=July 2009 |website=SourceForge |publisher=man page |access-date=9 February 2014}}</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| Tcl (Tool Command Language)]] and are interpreted by the modulecmd program via the module<ref>{{cite web |url=http://modules.sourceforge.net/man/module.html |title=module - command interface to the Modules package |author=John L. Furlani & Peter W. Osel |date=July 2009 |website=SourceForge |publisher=man page |access-date=9 February 2014}}</ref> user interface.

modulefilesModulefiles 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.

The key advantage of Environment Modules is that it is shell independent and supports all major shells such as [[Bash (Unix shell)|bash]], [[KornShell|ksh]], [[Z shell|zsh]], 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|

Line 34 ⟶ 33:

=== Add your own modules to the path ===

The {{mono|${MODULESHOME}/modulefiles/'''use.own'''}} module essentially performs these steps:

{{sxhl|2=bash|

mkdir $HOME/privatemodules

cp ${MODULESHOME}/modulefiles/null $HOME/privatemodules

module use --append $HOME/privatemodules

}}

=== 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 lang="bash">

echo '#%Module' > /etc/modulefiles/test/.version

echo 'set ModulesVersion "1.0"' >> /etc/modulefiles/test/.version

module avail

module show test

module show test/2.0

</syntaxhighlight>

Switch to the newer version as the default with:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">

rm /etc/modulefiles/test/.version

echo '#%Module' > /etc/modulefiles/test/.version

echo 'set ModulesVersion "2.0"' >> /etc/modulefiles/test/.version

module avail

module show test

</syntaxhighlight>

Line 124 ⟶ 121:

== 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.

Line 133 ⟶ 129:

{{mono|/etc/profile.d/modules.sh}} from the {{mono|etc/global/profile.modules}} file in the 3.2.10 modules build directory.

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">

trap "" 1 2 3

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:

Line 155 ⟶ 151:

=== 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">

Line 185 ⟶ 178:

=== Linux from source ===

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>

* [http://nickgeoghegan.net/linux/installing-environment-modules Installing Environment Modules]

==== 8.6.1 version of Tcl built from /usr/local/src ====

Line 205 ⟶ 197:

==== 3.2.10 version of modules built from /usr/local/src ====

Extract source after downloading

{{sxhl|2=bash|

Line 218 ⟶ 209:

sudo make install

}}

== See also ==

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

== References ==

Line 226 ⟶ 214:

== External links ==

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

* {{Official website|https://modules.sourceforge.net/}}

* {{GitHub|envmodules/modules}}