{"id":46,"date":"2020-06-02T17:52:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T16:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/csf4\/?page_id=46"},"modified":"2025-04-30T12:35:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T11:35:43","slug":"modules","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/csf4\/software\/modules\/","title":{"rendered":"Modules"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h2>\n

Modules<\/em> is the system by which most software is made available. Modules allow, via a simple interface, the update of various paths (and other environment settings<\/em>) that allow access to software. <\/p>\n

The use of modules also provides a convenient way to switch between different versions of the same software (such as compilers or applications such as matlab which are updated frequently). <\/p>\n

Note: We now recommend loading modulefiles within your jobscript so that you have a full record of how the job was run.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you may load modulefiles on the login node and let the job inherit these settings (which it will do by default). See below<\/a> for more information about these two methods.<\/div>\n

Module Commands<\/h2>\n

Your environment<\/em> is controlled using the module<\/code> command with various arguments. The most commonly used command is:<\/p>\n

\r\nmodule load name<\/em>\/1.2.3<\/em>\r\n<\/pre>\n
These commands can be used directly on the login node or in your jobscripts.<\/p>\n
You may wish to search<\/em> for modules on the login node while writing your jobscript AND do the actual loading of the modulefile inside the jobscript so that your jobs always use the same version of the application.<\/p>\n
The full list of module commands is given below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Command<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
module avail pattern<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nLists all modules that have pattern<\/em> in their name. For example: module avail para<\/code><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module avail<\/code><\/td>\nLists all available modules for use on the CSF (this shows what software has been installed).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module list<\/code><\/td>\nLists all of the modules that you have currently loaded in your environment, if any.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module list pattern<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nLists modules that you have currently loaded in your environment that have pattern<\/em> in their name. For example module avail slu<\/code><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module load modulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nLoads module modulename<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ml<\/code><\/td>\nLists all of the modules that you have currently loaded in your environment.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ml modulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nLoads module modulename<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module unload modulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nUnloads module modulename<\/em> and clears any settings made by the module from your environment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module switch oldmodulename<\/em> newmodulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nSwitches between two modules, unloading one and loading the other<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module purge<\/code><\/td>\nUnload all modules from your environment. Very useful for starting with a clean environment (alternatively just log out and back in again). Note the the slurm<\/code> modulefile (needed to submit batch jobs) will NOT be purged.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module help modulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nMay show longer description of the module if present in the modulefile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module help<\/code>
module -H<\/code><\/td>\n		Show help about the module<\/code> command<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
module show modulename<\/em><\/code><\/td>\nShows all of the settings that would be made by the module if you were to load it. Very useful to see what the module does.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
Module environment settings in batch<\/h2>\n
Modulefiles can be loaded:<\/p>\n