RCF Account Services

Update: 7/06

RSMAS issues email accounts, which provide an email address and the RSMAS email lists. When your email account is setup, a shared folder account is created which provides storage space you can mount on your desktop or laptop computer at RSMAS. Shared folders provide an area from which files will be backed up for you, provide access to create a personal web page on the RSMAS web server, and can make files you select available for pickup by others on the RSMAS FTP server.

The Account Request Form for email/shared folder is available here or from the RCF or the Graduate Studies Office. The form should be filled out and signed by the supervisor, major professor, or division chair of the person requesting the account. Read the policy statement on the back of the form and sign that you have read and understand it. Drop the form by the RCF and your account will be installed in a timely fashion. You are authorized to create a shared folder when your email account is set up. Setup information for shared folders is available here.

Policies

• You may not use UM accounts, networks, or any RSMAS computer facilities to misuse RSMAS/UM computers, RSMAS/UM networks, or the Internet in any way.
• You must keep your password secure.
• You may not share your account with anyoneelse.
• You are responsible for any activity that occurs using your username and password.
• You may not interfere with other users computer access or tamper with their files.
• Access to accounts and email at RSMAS should made with protocols that encrypt your username and passwd. These include the secure IMAP/POP protocols for email servers and SSH/SCP as replacements for Telnet/FTP for remote access to computers. See the security writeup for details.

Passwords

Passwords will be assigned to you when your account is issued. Your initial password will be your UM or student ID number, formated as "c12345678". If you change your password, new passwords must be 6 or more characters in length, contain a mixture of alpha, digit, and special characters, and not be based on any known word. You can change your password from RCF computers, but you must follow the rules above or your account will be inactivated without notice the next time the password checker runs. Inactivated accounts can be restored by coming by the RCF office in person and getting a new password. To change your password, use a web browser to go http://mail.rsmas.miami.edu/cgi-bin/qmailadmin and login. You will be in a password changing utility on login.

Quotas

Disk space usage on shared folders is limited to 1Gigabyte per user. You will not be able to create new files in your shared folder if your quota has been exceeded. Remove files from the shared folder to reduce usage if you exceed your quota.

Accounts on Private Workstations

If you have a private Unix workstation on the RSMAS net, the RCF strongly recommends that you ask the RCF for the unique UID and usernames for any accounts you wish to set up on your workstation. If you do not do this, a RSMAS share will fail on some linux operations, and there are security issues when you use some network services such as file sharing. No paperwork is required for this service.