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Collaboration Quickstart Guide

🎯 Goal: Get your collaborator access to your research environment in 5 minutes

👥 Audience: Researchers adding non-technical collaborators who only need web browser access

Overview

This is the simplified guide for quickly adding collaborators to your Prism instance. They'll access RStudio or Jupyter through their web browser - no software installation needed!

What you'll do: 1. Connect to your instance (1 minute) 2. Create a user account (2 minutes) 3. Share the web link (1 minute) 4. Collaborator logs in and starts working! (1 minute)

Need more details? See the comprehensive multi-user setup guide.

For Instance Owners: Adding a Collaborator

Step 1: Connect to Your Instance

From your terminal, connect to the running instance:

prism workspace connect my-research-env

Replace my-research-env with your instance name (see prism workspace list for all instances).

Step 2: Create User Account

On the instance, run:

sudo adduser collaborator

You'll be prompted to: - Enter password (twice): Choose something secure but memorable - Full name (optional): Press Enter to skip - Other info (optional): Press Enter to skip - Confirm: Type Y and press Enter

Example: 

Adding user `collaborator' ...
Enter new UNIX password: ********
Retype new UNIX password: ********
Full Name []: Maria Rodriguez
Room Number []:
Work Phone []:
Home Phone []:
Other []:
Is the information correct? [Y/n] Y

Step 3: Add to Web Service Access

For RStudio Server: 

sudo usermod -aG rstudio-users collaborator

For Jupyter Lab: 

# No special setup needed! All users can access Jupyter

Step 4: Find Your Instance IP Address

# Exit from the instance (Ctrl+D or type 'exit')
# Then run:
prism workspace list

Look for your instance and note the Public IP (e.g., 54.123.45.67).

Step 5: Share Access Details

Send your collaborator an email like this:

Email Template:

Hi Maria,

I've set up access to our research environment. Here's how to get started:

Web Link: http://54.123.45.67:8787 Username: collaborator Password: [the password you set]

Just open that link in your web browser, enter the username/password, and you'll see the RStudio interface. All our shared data is in the /shared/projects folder.

Let me know if you have any issues!

That's it! Your collaborator can now access the environment.

For Collaborators: Getting Started

Click the web link shared by your colleague (e.g., http://54.123.45.67:8787).

Note: Your browser may show a "Not Secure" warning. This is normal for research environments. Click "Advanced" → "Proceed" to continue.

Step 2: Login

You'll see a login screen:

  • Username: The username they gave you (e.g., collaborator)
  • Password: The password they set for you

Click Sign In.

Step 3: You're In!

RStudio Server: - You'll see the RStudio IDE interface - Left: Console for running R commands - Top-right: Environment with data objects - Bottom-right: Files, plots, help - Just like RStudio on your desktop!

Jupyter Lab: - You'll see the Jupyter interface - Left: File browser - Right: Notebook area - Click "New" → "Python 3" to create a notebook

Step 4: Find Shared Data

In RStudio: 1. Bottom-right pane → Files tab 2. Navigate to /shared/projects 3. You'll see files your colleague shared

Or in the R console: 

setwd("/shared/projects")
list.files()

In Jupyter: 1. Left sidebar file browser 2. Navigate to /shared/projects 3. Double-click files to open

Step 5: Start Working!

You can now: - Run R/Python code - Create new scripts/notebooks - Access shared datasets - Install packages (they'll only affect your account) - Save your work (auto-saved!)

Tips: - Use clear file names: maria-analysis-2024-01-15.R - Save frequently (though auto-save is enabled) - Check /shared/projects regularly for updates from teammates - Let your colleague know before editing their files

Quick Troubleshooting

Can't Login

Problem: "Invalid username or password"

Solutions: 1. Double-check username (case-sensitive!) 2. Double-check password 3. Ask instance owner to reset password: 

sudo passwd collaborator

Can't See Shared Files

Problem: /shared/projects folder is empty or missing

Solutions: 1. Make sure you're looking in the right place: - RStudio: Files pane → Navigate to root / → shared → projects - Jupyter: File browser → Navigate to /shared/projects

  1. Ask instance owner to check permissions: 

    ls -la /shared/projects
sudo usermod -aG researchers collaborator

  2. Important: Logout and login again after owner adds you to group

Page Won't Load

Problem: Browser shows "Can't reach this page" or "Connection refused"

Solutions: 1. Verify the URL is correct (check for typos) 2. Confirm the instance is running (ask owner to check prism workspace list) 3. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) 4. Check your internet connection 5. Ask owner to verify web service is running: 

sudo systemctl status rstudio-server
# or
sudo systemctl status jupyter

Common Questions

Do I need to install anything?

No! Everything runs in your web browser. Just click the link and login.

What browsers work?

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all work great. Use an updated version for best performance.

Can I work offline?

No, you need internet access to connect to the instance. But the instance is always available (24/7).

Will I lose my work if I close the browser?

No! Your work is saved on the remote instance. When you login again, everything will be there.

Can I install R/Python packages?

Yes! Packages you install are available to your account only. They won't affect other users.

RStudio: 

install.packages("ggplot2")

Jupyter: 

!pip install pandas

How do I save files?

Files are automatically saved when you: - RStudio: Click Save icon or Ctrl+S - Jupyter: File → Save or Ctrl+S

Save to /shared/projects so teammates can access them.

Can multiple people edit the same file?

Technically yes, but be careful: - Best practice: Coordinate who's editing what - Alternative: Use version control (Git) for complex projects - Safe option: Each person works on their own files, merge later

What if I need more help?

Contact your instance owner or see the full multi-user setup guide for detailed instructions.

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics:

Learn RStudio Shortcuts

  • Ctrl+Enter: Run current line
  • Ctrl+Shift+C: Comment/uncomment code
  • Ctrl+L: Clear console
  • Tab: Auto-complete

Organize Your Work

Create a personal folder in /shared/projects: 

dir.create("/shared/projects/maria")
setwd("/shared/projects/maria")

Explore Installed Packages

RStudio: 

installed.packages()[,c(1,3)]

Jupyter: 

!pip list

Share Your Findings

When you have results to share: 1. Save plots as PNG/PDF 2. Export data as CSV 3. Share file path with teammates 4. Consider writing R Markdown / Jupyter Notebook reports

Advanced: Setting Up SSH Access (Optional)

If you're comfortable with command-line tools, you can also access via SSH for more powerful workflows.

On Your Computer

  1. Generate SSH key (if you don't have one): 

    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"
    Press Enter to accept defaults.

  2. View your public key: 

    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
    Copy this entire line.

  3. Send to instance owner: Email them your public key.

Instance Owner Adds Your Key

prism workspace connect my-research-env
sudo su - collaborator
mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
echo "your-public-key-here" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
exit

You Can Now SSH

ssh collaborator@54.123.45.67

Benefits: - Use your favorite local editor (VS Code, Vim, Emacs) - Transfer files with scp or rsync - Run long-running jobs in tmux or screen - Access full command-line tools

Support

Need help getting started?

Last Updated: January 2026 | Version: 1.0