This is what I did (using mathematica 9.0.1; remote RHEL linux server for running kernels; local workstation windows 7 64bit):

On the remote kernels-tab I added the hostname of the server. Then I checked the 'Use custom launch command' and added the following:

plink -ssh -batch -l  `3`  `1`  "math -mathlink -linkmode Connect `4` -linkname '`2`' -subkernel -noinit  >& /dev/null &“

To be able to run plink, you should install the putty package and add the installation directory to the system path. The ampersand at the end is required because the math command should be run as a background process and the connection should terminate. Otherwise the command window will stay open and mathematica aborts the session after a while.

Also, to make this work you should disable (or configure) the firewall on the local workstation to allow inbound connections from the remote server. Mathematica will use random port numbers (specified in `2`). The remote server only requires outbound connections.

If your local login name is not the same as your server account, you should replace `3` with your server login name.

To prevent entering a passwords when starting remote kernels, you could use a public key pair (using Pageant for example).

If all is setup properly, you can click the 'parallel kernel status' button and launch all kernels.

On linux systems you can rely on the default ssh implementation:

ssh -x -f -l `3` `1` math -mathlink -linkmode Connect `4` -linkname '`2`' -subkernel –noinit

The -f switch tell ssh to enter background mode before running the command line, so no trailing ampersand is required here.

`1` = hostname as specified in dialog
`2` = connect string format: port1@ip-workstation,port2@ip-workstation
`3` = username on current workstation
`4` = -linkprotocol TCPIP (i.e. additional parameters)

That should do...

Paul Groot

husband@wife$ make sandwich
Permission denied
husband@wife$ sudo make sandwich

This is what I did (using mathematica 9.0.1; remote RHEL linux server for running kernels; local workstation windows 7 64bit):

On the remote kernels-tab I added the hostname of the server. Then I checked the 'Use custom launch command' and added the following:

plink -ssh -batch -l  `3`  `1`  "math -mathlink -linkmode Connect `4` -linkname '`2`' -subkernel -noinit  >& /dev/null &“

To be able to run plink, you should install the putty package and add the installation directory to the system path. The ampersand at the end is required because the math command should be run as a background process and the connection should terminate. Otherwise the command window will stay open and mathematica aborts the session after a while.

Also, to make this work you should disable (or configure) the firewall on the local workstation to allow inbound connections from the remote server. Mathematica will use random port numbers (specified in `2`). The remote server only requires outbound connections.

If your local login name is not the same as your server account, you should replace `3` with your server login name.

To prevent entering a passwords when starting remote kernels, you could use a public key pair (using Pageant for example).

If all is setup properly, you can click the 'parallel kernel status' button and launch all kernels.

On linux systems you can rely on the default ssh implementation:

ssh -x -f -l `3` `1` math -mathlink -linkmode Connect `4` -linkname '`2`' -subkernel –noinit

The -f switch tell ssh to enter background mode before running the command line, so no trailing ampersand is required here.

`1` = hostname as specified in dialog
`2` = connect string format: port1@ip-workstation,port2@ip-workstation
`3` = username on current workstation
`4` = -linkprotocol TCPIP (i.e. additional parameters)

That should do...