The Engineering Computing Facility (ECF) provides computing services to students. On-campus, there are five Windows labs and three Linux labs with a total of 368 workstations. There are also some Windows computers in the EngSci common room.
All engineering undergraduate students can access these computer labs 24/7. You can also access ECF workstations with their software and files remotely from your own computer via the Secure Shell protocol (SSH). This will be very useful in ESC190, in which you may need to use a debugging tool called Valgrind (which can be very tricky to configure on your own computer). By SSHing into an ECF workstation with a couple of basic commands, you can use Valgrind and many other tools right from your own computer.
The ECF labs are equipped with comfy office chairs, big screens, and always have an available computer. These are nice places to study in between classes and work on assignments.
Using ECF Workstations
You will receive an email regarding setting up your ECF account in the Fall. You are required to set up your account to access ECF workstations, printing, and more. Account activation instructions can be found on this page: ECF Account Activation.
All engineering students can print a limited number of pages for free at ECF printers. For your first-year EngSci courseload, you have 900 free pages of black-and-white printing per term, with a 25% discount for double-sided printing (i.e. 1200 pages). Color printing costs twice as much – keep this in mind if you need to print CIV102 notes, Praxis materials, or any other large documents.
ECF workstations are equipped with tons of useful software such as MATLAB, SOLIDWORKS, VS Code, and more. If you ever need to use software that your computer can’t run, the ECF is the place to go! The details of these computers are listed on the ECF Website.
ECF resources are strictly for academic use, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the ECF Account and Lab Rules and Regulations for Students. Using the workstations for unauthorized activities can result in serious consequences, including payment of damages, loss of computer access, and other sanctions.
Additionally, ECF conducts random spot checks; if you’re caught with food or drink in the labs, your access will be revoked, and you’ll need to reapply to regain it.