Private Modules

Users on Tufts HPC cluster can create their own module files and load their own private modules to make using locally installed software easier.

1. Install your software

After installation, make sure you know the path to the software. Especially thebin lib or lib64 include and man if there are any.

2. Create your module file

The location of the module file is very important! If it’s misplaced, your module won’t show up.

Please put your own module file in your home directory, under privatemodules.

Each software should have its own directory, such as mysoftware.

And for each version of the software, there should be a module file, such as 1.0.0.lua.

The overall structure should be:

/cluster/home/$USER/privatemodules/mysoftware/1.0.0.lua

Now let’s work on the content of the file.

You can refer to the following cmake modulefile located at /cluster/tufts/apps/modules/9/x86_64/gcc/15.1.0/cmake/3.31.6.lua.

-- -*- lua -*---
-- cmake@3.31.6~doc+ncurses+ownlibs+qtgui build_system=generic build_type=Release arch=linux-rocky9-broadwell/htsgau3
--

whatis([[Name : cmake]])
whatis([[Version : 3.31.6]])
whatis([[Short description : A cross-platform, open-source build system. CMake is a family of tools designed to build, test and package software. ]])

help([[A cross-platform, open-source build system. CMake is a family of tools
designed to build, test and package software.]])


depends_on("gmake/4.4.1-yi34qio")
depends_on("qt/5.15.12-qkjcg5f")

local modroot="/cluster/tufts/apps/spack/9/x86_64/apps/linux-broadwell/cmake-3.31.6-htsgau3kr7aenjwhvsdbkadkwjrfgulh"
prepend_path("PATH", modroot.."/bin", ":")
prepend_path("ACLOCAL_PATH", modroot.."/share/aclocal", ":")
prepend_path("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH", modroot.."/.", ":")

Most of the content is informational.

The most important function part of the module file would be the prepend-path line, it adds the cmake bin directory path to the environment variable PATH so that the system will be able to find the cmake executables.

If your software requires other environment variables such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH or CPATH to be set to function, then you should prepend-path those variables as well with the appropriate directories.

Once your module file is ready. Save it.

3. Load Your Own Module

In order to enable the usage of private module, use.own module needs to be loaded first:

$ module load use.own

Now you can check your own module.

$ module av mysoftware

And it should show up as:

------------- /cluster/home/$USER/privatemodules ------------------
mysoftware/1.0.0

You can load it just like other modules on the cluster:

$ module load my software/1.0.0

:)