Laboratory for Scientific Computing

Google Drive

Google Drive

The University provides access to Google Drive, which can be used from LSC/CSC machines.

Setting up your Google Drive

First, you need to ensure that your Google Drive is set up correctly:

If you have never used Google applications at Cambridge before you may wish to follow this link:
Google Calendar at Cambridge
You can log into Google Calendar directly via a Raven login here:
Google Calendar
There is a document with more background information and help here (you should be able to see this if you have successfully logged into your University Google account): Google Drive in Department of Physics

G Suite@Cambridge gives you access to a range of web-based applications that let you create, store, share and sync your files, and remotely collaborate with others from wherever you have an internet connection:

  • Google Drive - an unlimited cloud-based filestore, with an individual file size limit of 5TB
  • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms - office productivity applications
  • Google Keep - note-taking app
  • Google Calendar - shared calendars
  • Google Hangouts - text, voice and video conversations (up to 25 people)
  • Google Meet - desktop and mobile videoconferencing for up to 30 participants

UIS links

The UIS have provided a series of instructions and guides on using Google Drive and other G Suite for Education applications:

Ubuntu

  • In order to mount your Google Drive on one of the CSC/LSC machines, log out, and log in again using the GNOME (Metacity) desktop environment by selecting the small circle next to your username. (Don't worry; you can switch back to your favourite desktop later.)
  • Now, at a command-line, run gnome-control-center online-accounts
    • Starting window
  • Now click "Add an Online Account" and select "Google"
    • Select Google from list
  • Now enter your Cambridge e-mail address, and click Next
    • Enter e-mail address and click Next
  • Now enter your CRSId and Raven password
    • Enter Raven login
  • You now need to allow GNOME access to your Google Account, click "Allow"
    • Allow GNOME access to Google Allow GNOME access to Google
  • You may now wish to deselect any GNOME tools that should not use Google
    • Change GNOME options
  • You can now log out of GNOME, log in to your usual desktop, and open the Nautilus file manager to see your Google Drive
    • Google Drive in Nautilus

Mounting Google Drive from the command-line

The rclone program is installed on LSC/CSC machines. Full instructions can be found at RClone.org.

Specifically, you should follow the instructions at rclone Google Drive to tie your Google Drive account to your machine, and then use the mount subcommand to mount this in a local folder, although note that this is experimental. Other more usual commands are available, see the main documentation.

Assuming that you have set up your Google Drive using rclone config, naming the remote drive as UoCGoogleDrive:

mkdir /local/data/public/pmb39/GoogleDrive
rclone mount UoCGoogleDrive: /local/data/public/pmb39/GoogleDrive/

You will then need to switch to another terminal to access the data stored in it. Killing the rclone mount command will unmount the folder. If the folder fails to unmount correctly, use:

fusermount -uz /local/data/public/pmb39/GoogleDrive/

Remember that every time you use the Google Drive account, data will need to be transferred to/from Google's servers, and potentially backup copies may be made of your data for later recovery.