Using Specific Module Versions on the HPC
Modules on NREL HPCs are updated to with newer versions with on a regular basis.
Since Lmod, the underlying module system, sets the most recent version of a module as the default, a user's typical workflow may break if they are not specifying the exact module version in their scripts.
For example, at the time of this writing, the current default module for Conda on Eagle is 4.9.2.
If a user wishes to use conda v4.12.0, they must specify the version in the module command as
The user can also create custom module files for their own use and point to them.
For example, assuming a user has custom TCL or LUA module files in the following directory
/home/${USER}/private_modules/
They can use these module files by adding it to the module search path using the following command
module use -a /home/${USER}/private_modules/
Furthermore, if a user wishes to have these module paths available at all times, they can update their .bash_profile or .bashrc file in their home directory. For example by using the following command
echo 'module use -a /home/${USER}/private_modules/' >> /home/${USER}/.bash_profile
or a text editor.
As a quick reminder, .bash_profile and .bashrc are simply configuration files that enable the user to customize your Linux or MacOS terminal experience, assuming they are using Bash as their shell (Similar to Command Prompt on Windows).
The difference between .bash_profile and .bashrc is that the former is executed for login shells while the latter in executed for non-login shells, e.g., .bash_profile is executed when a user SSHs into Eagle, whereas .bashrc is executed when one opens a new terminal.