Executive Summary: Updating compiler on Medicine.

September the 30th, 2024

Please note, this message does not apply to the Beartooth cluster.

When we first opened up the MedicineBow cluster we installed the gcc/13.2.0 compiler version that was optimized for the AMD (zen4) architecture of the initial nodes.

As we are starting to migrate Intel based nodes over from the Beartooth cluster we now need to provide a more generic gcc compiler that can be used generically across these different architectures. Over the next number of weeks we will be installing gcc/14.2.0 and the same core set of libraries and applications as provided the older version to enable this.

To allow this, we will have to re-name some of the module files for the very low level libraries used by the compilers to differentiate their architectural version.

For example, where originally there was a single autoconf/2.69 module, there will now be two: autoconf/2.69_x86_64 and autoconf/2.69_zen4.

For most users, you will not experience any issues as the module system will take care of this renaming. So, for example, if you perform a module load gcc/13.2.0 you will not have to change anything. If you perform a module list you might spot some of the low level dependencies with the extended name.

You should not have to re-build any existing software that used gcc/13.2.0 to use the existing AMD nodes. If, once the Beartooth nodes have been migrated, you wish to use these as well, you will need to eventually re-build you software using the newer version.

For any questions or issues resulting from this update, please send all enquiries to arcc-help@uwyo.edu.

Regards,

Simon Alexander