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MobaXterm

MobaXterm is a Windows application that combines an SSH client, X11 server, file transfer (SFTP/SCP), and a local terminal in a single tool. It is a convenient choice for Windows users who need interactive logins, remote file management, or GUI applications via X11 forwarding.

Linux and macOS

On Linux and macOS, OpenSSH together with an X display server (e.g. XQuartz on macOS) covers the same functionality. MobaXterm is Windows-only.

Installation

Download the free Home Edition from mobaxterm.mobatek.net. No installation is required for the portable version — simply extract and run the executable.

Connecting to NHR@KIT

  1. Open MobaXterm and click Session → SSH.
  2. Enter the login hostname in the Remote host field, e.g. hk2-x86.scc.kit.edu.
  3. Check Specify username and enter your login username (see Username lookup).
  4. Click OK to connect.

MobaXterm will prompt for your One-Time Password (OTP) and then your service password, following the standard login process.

X11 Forwarding

MobaXterm starts its built-in X server automatically. GUI applications launched on the login node are displayed on your local desktop without any additional configuration.

Login node policy

Do not run graphical or compute-intensive applications directly on the login nodes. Use the batch system or remote visualization service instead.

Session Settings

Disable Remote Monitoring

MobaXterm's SSH session settings include a Remote monitoring feature that periodically polls the server to display CPU, memory, and disk usage in the sidebar. Do not enable this feature for NHR@KIT login nodes. The repeated polling creates unnecessary load on the login nodes, which are a shared resource used by all users.

To verify it is off: open your SSH session settings → Advanced SSH settings tab → ensure Remote monitoring is unchecked (the default).

File Transfer

The SFTP browser panel on the left side of the MobaXterm window shows the remote file system and updates automatically when you connect. You can drag and drop files between your local machine and the remote system.

Drag-and-drop is not suitable for large or bulk transfers

The drag-and-drop file browser works reliably only for a small number of small files. For the file counts and sizes typical in HPC workflows — large datasets, many source files, or entire directory trees — it will fail or silently drop files.

For any non-trivial transfer, use rsync instead:

$ rsync -av /local/path/ username@hk2-x86.scc.kit.edu:/remote/path/

rsync handles large files and deep directory trees reliably, resumes interrupted transfers, and shows accurate progress. See Data Transfer for more details.