Stata via Remote Desktop
The statistic software Stata program is available to you via Remote Desktop for the analysis of quantitative data
Step 1: Log in to the Munich Science Network
To access our remote server, you must first connect to the Munich Academic Network (MWN) via the VPN client eduVPN.
Step 2: Log in to the remote server
Now you can start Remote Desktop and open Stata.
If you receive an error message stating that you do not have permission to connect, please check with your instructor to obtain permission and then contact us directly.
2.1. Windows
Start the "Remote Desktop Connection" program, which is preinstalled in Windows.
Enter the address of the remote desktop server:
stata.soziologie.uni-muenchen.de
Enter "ADS\LRZ ID" as the user name and the corresponding password.
To do this, you will need your LRZ ID. You can find this under the email settings in your user profile on the LMU portal.
When connecting to the server, you will currently still see a certificate warning. This can be ignored.
2.2. MacOS
To access Stata from a Mac, you must first download the Microsoft Remote Desktop program from the App Store.
When opening the program, click on the blue "Add PC" button.
Enter the address of the remote desktop server:
stata.soziologie.uni-muenchen.de
Double-click on the server that is now listed.
Enter "ADS\LRZ ID" as the user name and the corresponding password.
To do this, you will need your LRZ ID. You can find this under the email settings in your user profile on the LMU portal.
When connecting to the server, you will currently still see a certificate warning. This can be ignored.
2.3 Linux/Ubuntu
Remmina is available in the official package sources for Ubuntu. It can be installed either from the Ubuntu Software Center or with the following command:
sudo apt-get install remmina
If the Remote Desktop Protocol is not available for selection, it can be installed with the following command:
sudo apt-get install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp
Open Remmina and click on the plus sign ("Create a new connection profile") in the upper left corner.
Enter the correct data in the "Basic" tab (the other tabs can be ignored):
- Name: can be chosen freely
- Server: stata.soziologie.uni-muenchen.de
- User Name: your LRZ ID
- User password: your own password
- Color depth: True color (32 bpp)
(problems may sometimes occur here; if in doubt, simply try it out)
To do this, you will need your LRZ ID. You can find this under the email settings in your user profile on the LMU portal.
Click "Save" at the bottom—now you can connect to the remote server at any time by double-clicking.
When connecting to the server, you will currently still see a certificate warning. This can be ignored.
Step 3: Opening Stata
After connecting to the remote server, you can open Stata from the Start menu.
Depending on your authorization, you can use Stata BE or Stata SE. Stata SE can analyze larger data sets than Stata BE, but the range of functions is the same. By default, you are assigned to the group for access to Stata BE.
If there is a particular need for Stata SE for courses in the master's program or for final theses, the respective instructor can request activation by sending us an email.
Peculiarities
You establish a connection to a server to access Stata via Remote Desktop. The Stata program is then run on this (remote) computer. You cannot download Stata and install it on your own computer. The institute does not offer individual licenses for students, but rather a network license that is installed on the department server so that students can use it.
For your understanding:
The remote desktop connection allows you to start a session on the remote server, within which you can then run programs and access data. You can think of it as working on an external Windows computer from outside. (You control the actions within your session from outside.) Your own computer is only used to establish the remote connection to the server.
In order to have your course materials available on the Stata server, they must be stored in your personal directory/drive (H:). Because the connection to the data under H: is essentially cloud access, the data is always the same, regardless of how you access H:.
There are several ways to save to your personal directory (H:):
- It is best to mount the H: drive as a network drive on your own computer. This will give you permanent access to the files and allow you to save them. Instructions (for Windows and Mac) can be found on this IT information page under the heading "Accessing drives from outside." There you will find information about the H drive at the bottom of page 4. For Linux, go to the LRZ website and follow the instructions provided there.
- You can also copy files from your own PC to the remote server via the clipboard (this works within the remote connection). To switch between the remote connection and your own desktop view, minimize the remote connection window (click the "-" button in the top right corner). Since you also have access to H: (personal drive) on the remote server, paste the data there using the clipboard (copy & paste). You can open the H: drive on the remote server in Windows Explorer (file manager).
- You can also access the Internet via the browser within the remote desktop connection and download Moodle materials, for example.
Please note that the server will be restarted between 6 and 7 a.m. on Microsoft patch weekend (this is a Saturday around the middle of the month). You will receive a warning 5 minutes before the restart. Please back up your data before the restart!