Home / Unix Timeshare / Unix Timeshare Retirement

Unix Timeshare Retirement

The Unix Timeshare (unix.ucsc.edu and unix.lt.ucsc.edu) is scheduled to be retired at the end of the 2025 school year. Please read below for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please open an ITS ticket or email help@ucsc.edu and reference the Unix Timeshare.

Why?

The Unix Timeshare is a collaboration between the computer labs team (Instructional and Media Technology) and the central Unix/Linux team (Systems Engineering). ITS as a whole is in the process of retiring AFS, the underlying network file system used by the Unix Timeshare for home directories. ITS looked at alternatives and decided it was not financially feasible to migrate to a different system. Without a common home directory service, the Unix Timeshare would be very difficult to use. For this reason, the timeshare is retiring before central ITS discontinues AFS.

Timeline

Update: Class software and request only access has been postponed for the time being. The timeshare will remain in the same state for Winter quarter as it did for Fall quarter. Details about Spring 2025 will be posted when we have them.
  • Right now - Access remains open to existing account holders, but instructors are encouraged to look for alternatives (Coming Soon).
  • Winter 2025 Quarter Start (1/3/2025) - Class-related software will be removed. The timeshare will still be available for accessing your home directory files (AFS).
  • Spring 2025 Quarter Start (3/31/2025) - Access to the timeshare by special request only.
  • Spring 2025 Quarter End (6/12/2025) - All access to the timeshare will be denied.

Timeshare Alternatives

There are a few alternatives to the Unix timeshare that may fulfill your needs:

  • GitLab - A web-based version control system that can be used to store and manage source code.
  • The campus computer labs - There are 11 computer labs around campus with instructional software installed. The Linux computer labs at Kresge and BE105 both offer modern Linux environments for instruction.

Download Your Files

Please transfer any data in your AFS home directory off of the Unix timeshare as soon as possible. You can use an SFTP client to connect to the timeshare and transfer your files locally.

If you have graduated from UCSC or no longer have access to your UCSC account, you can request an archive of your AFS home directory by creating an ITS ticket or emailing help@ucsc.edu and referencing the Unix Timeshare.

See Also