Computer Music Lab Usage Guidelines

Never restart or shut down one of the UNIX machines unless so instructed by lab staff.
RATIONALE: there are interdependencies between the computers that can make unplanned or improper shutdowns very problematic.

No food or drink in the studios. Even if YOU are not messy.
RATIONALE: avoidance of stickification or damage to equipment .

Laser printing in the labs is available ONLY for printing SMALL amounts of material directly relevant to your coursework.
RATIONALE: Due to costs, printing privileges may be revoked for all if some (or one) is wasteful.

Do not reconfigure either the hardware or the workstations. If you think you need to do this, consult a lab assistant or Chad Kirby so that you can be convinced that it's not actually necessary.
RATIONALE: it is extremely frustrating to find out that someone has reconfigured a workstation in such a fashion that it no longer works or that others can't figure out how to use it.

Usage priority for use of Computer Music facilities is as follows: Music projects involving software exclusive to the lab = 90%; Music projects involving text and graphics = 10%.
RATIONALE: there are other resources available on campus for general computing; Computer Music resources should be focused on music.

Clean up after a lab session. Return all documentation to the shelf, return cables and equipment to their storage locations. Leave the workstation as you found it.
RATIONALE: helps everyone know where to find things; most people prefer a clean lab space.

On the Macintosh workstations, all of your work should be placed inside the Users folder in a folder that has your name on it. Work found outside of user folders will be placed in the Lost and Found folder and deleted at the end of the class term.
RATIONALE: chaos containment.

People who are physically in the lab have priority for machine use. The basic rules for remote access to UNIX computers are:
- When you logon to a computer, use finger to determine if anyone else is using the machine.
- If someone is using the machine, logoff and try a different machine.
- Recheck every 15 minutes to verify that no one else has started using the computer.

When using a monitoring system, turn the amplifier on only after the other equipment has been turned on. Turn off the amplifier before turning off the other equipment.
RATIONALE: Prevents loud pops during equipment power-up or power-down from being sent to the speakers -- which could damage them.

Computer Music facilities are governed by the rules pertaining to the use of all state computers, a summary of which may be found at http://www.washington.edu/computing/rules/ . A more specific document can be found at http://www.washington.edu/computing/rules/guidelines.html .