Faculty, staff, and Shared NetIDs have multiple web development servers available for their use. The localhome feature allows a user to set a specific web development server as their "local" system, which allows them to connect and use a server address of netid.ovid.u.washington.edu, replacing "netid" with their own NetID. There are multiple reasons for setting a local home on the web development servers, including:

• Easier to Use: ovid.u.washington.edu is a round-robin host, meaning you will be connected to a random ovid server each time you connect using the generic 'ovid' hostname.  This can cause problems when running persistent services, such as MySQL.
• Easier to Remember: You don't need to remember what specific server each one of your NetIDs is using.
• Easier to Migrate: Want to migrate to a lesser used server? No problem, with localhome, you can quickly change your back-end MySQL server without needing to update all of your application configuration files as well: the DNS updates automatically.

Setting your Local Home

1. Choose a web development server that is currently accepting MySQL installs.
2. Log into your web development server using a terminal emulator. If you're not sure how to do this, click here for instructions.
3. At the command prompt, type localhome
   • This will create the DNS link and set the current system to your localhome.
4. Disconnect from your current system by typing exit at your command prompt.
5. Connect to your new designated localhome by SSHing to netid.ovid.u.washington.edu, replacing "netid" with your own NetID. This will connect you to the same system that you were previously using, and will do so on every subsequent connection.
6. Update your application configuration files to use netid.ovid.u.washington.edu as their MySQL hosts, replacing "netid" with your own NetID.

Changing your Local Home

It may be desirable to change your localhome location, either through a request from UW-IT, or on your own initiative.

1. Log into your web development server using a terminal emulator. If you're not sure how to do this, click here for instructions.
2. Shut off any currently-running MySQL servers on the system you will be migrating from, as well as any currently-scheduled cron jobs.
   • You can shut off MySQL by running ~/mysql/bin/mysqladmin -u root -p shutdown at the command prompt.
   • You can edit your cronjobs by running crontab -e at the command prompt.
3. SSH to another web development server that is currently accepting MySQL installs.
4. Type localhome -n at the command prompt.
   • This will update the DNS and set this new server as your local home.
   • This will set a localhome for you even if you have not previously selected one.
5. Start up MySQL and any other services on the new server. Check to make sure your applications are working properly.
   • You can bring MySQL online by running ~/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe & at the command prompt.
   • You can edit your cronjobs by running crontab -e at the command prompt.