Tools & access¶
Everything you need to download to work on a CEL pipeline, and how to get access to run it on Scribe. Each tool links to its official download and to the deeper how-to guide where one exists.
Essentials — everyone needs these¶
| Tool | Download | What for | How-to |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSS VPN (OpenVPN Connect) | it.dss.ucdavis.edu | Reaching Scribe at all — connect to vpn.dss.ucdavis.edu with your Kerberos login |
Working on Scribe |
| VSCode | code.visualstudio.com | Writing and saving .do files on your laptop, in a real editor |
Editing Stata in VSCode |
| SSH client | built in (ssh on macOS/Linux; OpenSSH or PuTTY on Windows) |
Connecting to Scribe to run jobs | Working on Scribe |
| File-transfer client | FileZilla · Cyberduck · or scp/rsync (built in) |
Moving code between your laptop and Scribe | Local ↔ server sync |
| Stata | runs on Scribe (stata-mp) — nothing to install locally |
Running the analysis pipelines | Working on Scribe → batch vs GUI |
git is recommended, not required
You can run a pipeline with just the tools above. git (git-scm.com) adds version history and is the cleaner way to sync code — worth setting up, but optional. See Version control using git.
Situational — only if your setup calls for it¶
| Tool | Download | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| X server | Mac: XQuartz · Windows: Xming | Only to run the Stata GUI over X11 — see Working on Scribe → GUI over X11. Batch runs don't need it. |
| PuTTY | chiark.greenend.org.uk | On Windows, for SSH and for X11 forwarding to the Stata GUI — see the illustrated Xming + PuTTY guide. |
| Claude Code | optional productivity tool | Some repos carry a .claude/ folder from it; you never need it to run the analysis — see Claude Code intro. |
Access checklist for a new person¶
Work top to bottom — each step depends on the one above it.
- DSS VPN — install OpenVPN Connect and connect to
vpn.dss.ucdavis.edu(Kerberos login). Needed before you can reach Scribe. - Scribe access — your lab IT contact enables your Kerberos login for the lab's space (host
Scribe.ssds.ucdavis.edu). - Access to the project folder on Scribe — confirm with the data custodian.
- GitHub account — optional: all the repos are public, so you can read and clone without one; you only need an account to push changes.
- Stata packages installed on your Scribe account — each repo lists what it needs.