Automated visualization with ParaView scripting

[johanjan]

A basic way to provide automated visualization is to provide ParaView scripts that are automatically run when the remote desktop is started. Is it possible to provide commands that are run when the remote desktop is started?

[victorsndvg]

Dear @johanjan,

it's possible to launch Paraview (or any other app) when launching a new remote desktops.

CESGA desktops always check the existence of a CESGArdesktop.startup file in the user home directory when launching a new desktop. If this exists the file is executed.

Summing up, you should place an executable $HOME/CESGArdesktop.startup file (with execution permissions) in the home directory of the users.

This is an example startup file to load Paraview:

#!/bin/bash
echo "Launching Desktop: " $date >> $HOME/CESGArdesktop.log
module load ParaView/5.2.0 &>> $HOME/CESGArdesktop.log
vglrun paraview &>> $HOME/CESGArdesktop.log

The current alternative to do that is to create and assign the right permissions to this file during bootstrap or revert process of your blueprint.

@emepetres , is would be possible to deploy and undeploy this file when launching a desktop from the Portal? this could be like a bootstrap/revert script of the remote visualization.

I think it could be interesting for end-users. A "resources provider" could provide several applications or profiles (per remote desktop infrastructure) to be loaded when launching a new desktop. And then the users could choose one of the provided "desktop profiles" to load a pre-post processor when launching.

I'm also taking a look to the other alternative we were discussing, to create a desktop icon per experiment to directly visualize its results, but no new till the moment