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# Modules

# Basic information

Modules on a cluster are a mechanism that allows easy management of different versions of software and libraries. They enable users to quickly and seamlessly switch between various tools and environments without the need to manually configure access paths and environment variables.

Clusters often offer multiple versions of the same software, such as Python 3.8 and Python 3.10, or different versions of compilers and libraries. Modules help manage this complex environment by allowing users to load exactly the versions of software needed to run a specific application or project.

# Basics of use

Display list of loaded modules
Use the following command to display a list of loaded modules.

module list

A sample result of this command is shown below.

[username@hostname ~]$ module list
Currently Loaded Modulefiles:
  1) open64-4.2.5.2

# Display a list of available modules

Use the following command to display a list of all available modules for a given user.

module avail

A sample result of this command is shown below.

[username@hostname ~]$ module avail

----------- /usr/share/Modules/PSNC/Development/Languages -----------
open64-4.2.5.2

----------- /usr/share/Modules/PSNC/Development/Libraries -----------
openmpi-gcc-x86_64    openmpi-opencc-x86_64

# Displaying additional information about a module

To display additional information about a module, use the following command.

module help <name_modul>

Below is an example of a command invocation for a module 'open64-4.2.5.2'.

[username@hostname ~]$ module help open64-4.2.5.2

----------- Module Specific Help for 'open64-4.2.5.2' ---------------------------

	Name:			AMD x86 Open64 Compiler Suite
	Version:		4.2.5.2
	Platform:		x86_64
	Category:		Development/Languages
	URL				http://developer.amd.com
	Provides:		opencc, openCC, openf90, openf95

	Description:

	The x86 Open64 compiler system is a high performance, production
	quality code generation tool designed for high performance parallel
	computing workloads. The x86 Open64 environment provides the developer
	the essential choices when building and optimizing C, C++, and Fortran
	applications targeting 32-bit and 64-bit Linux platforms.

	The x86 Open64 compiler system offers a high level of advanced
	optimizations, multi-threading, and processor support that includes
	global optimization, vectorization, interprocedural analysis, feedback
	directed optimizations, loop transformations, and code generation
	which extracts the optimal performance from each x86 processor core.

	man pages:		no
	Restrictions:	none

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Loading the module

The following command is used to load a new module.

module load <nazwa_modulu>

# Unloading the module

The module is unloaded using the following command.

module unload <name_modul>

# Checking which environmental variables are modified by a given module

The following command can be used to find out which environmental variables are modified by a given module.

module show <name_modul>

An example of the command result is shown below.

[username@hostname ~]$ module show open64-4.2.5.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
/usr/share/Modules/PSNC/Development/Languages/open64-4.2.5.2:

module-whatis	AMD x86 Open64 Compiler Suite, 4.2.5.2 
setenv			open64_root /opt/x86_open64-4.2.5.2 
prepend-path	PATH /opt/x86_open64-4.2.5.2/bin 
prepend-path	LD_LIBRARY_PATH /opt/x86_open64-4.2.5.2/lib 
prepend-path	INCLUDE /opt/x86_open64-4.2.5.2/include 
-------------------------------------------------------------------

# Personalisation of settings

In an environment where modules are used, the user can decide which modules will be loaded after logging into the system. To do so, edit the file ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile and add the appropriate lines. Below is an example, in which to the MODULEPATH variable was added a path to the directory, where user modules are located and the open64 compiler module is loaded in version 4.2.5.2.

[username@hostname ~]$ cat ~/.bash_profile 
...
# Environment Modules

# Prepend directory to the MODULEPATH environment variable.
module use --append $HOME/.modules/my_modules

# Modules loaded at login time.
module load open64-4.2.5.2
...

# Additional information

For additional information on using the modules, refer to the system manual by issuing one of the following commands.

# Information on the use of modules
man module

# Information on writing your own modules
man modulefile

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