UHUnix - Retiring August 3, 2026

Tags uhunix unix

Overview

This announcement is to inform you about the upcoming retirement of UHUnix, our legacy *nix shell environment. After many years of service, UHUnix will be formally deprecated on Aug 3, 2026. We understand that UHUnix has been a valuable resource for many users, providing a platform for running select *nix programs, manipulating files, and hosting personal webpages. We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all affected users and have provided several alternative solutions to replace the functionality offered by UHUnix.

Alternative Services

UH Information Technology Services (ITS) suggests a range of supported services available as alternatives to common use cases for UHUnix:

  • Personal Webpages
    • For personal webpages, use Google Sites via your Google@UH account. This service includes a UH-branded URL (sites.hawaii.edu/[your_site]) that redirects to your UH Google Site (sites.google.com/hawaii.edu/[your_site]).
    • A temporary redirect service is now available to forward traffic from your current URL (www2.hawaii.edu/~[your_username]) to a new one starting August 3, 2026. To also redirect traffic before UHUnix retires, see the UHUnix Retirement knowledge base article.
  • Scholarly publications
    • To house scholarly work, researchers and students can take advantage of platforms such as ScholarSpace (available to UH Manoa users) or the broader UH System Repository.
  • General cloud file storage
    • For individuals requiring file storage and hosting solutions, Google Drive is available through Google@UH accounts. It provides an intuitive interface along with advanced tools for collaborative work and file sharing.
  • *nix Shell Environment
    • For a local *nix shell, we recommend Terminal on macOS or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). These provide integrated *nix environments directly on your workstation.
    • For coding and compiling, GitHub Enterprise launches in Fall 2026 for all UH members. Learn more via our GitHub Enterprise page.
    • For hosted needs, ITS offers virtual Linux servers for purchase, allowing for a self-managed environment tailored to your requirements.

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Migrating Your Data

We encourage all current UHUnix users to begin migrating any critical data or personal webpage content to an alternative service as soon as possible. One option to save your data is by using Filezilla (link):

  1. Install and open Filezilla
  2. In the top toolbar, type in the following information:
    • Host: uhunix.hawaii.edu
    • Username: your UH username
    • Password: your UH password
    • Port: 22
  3. Click on Quickconnect
  4. Choose if you would like your password saved and click on OK to continue
  5. Once you are connected, you should see a window similar to below
    • The left pane of the window represents the local directory structure for your local storage space.
    • The right pane represents the directory structure of the remote host. In this case, the remote host is uhunix.hawaii.edu
  6. To download a file, select the file in the right pane and drag them to the left pane. You may copy files to folders by dragging the files onto the folder. To select files not adjacent to each other, hold down the ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) key and click on the name of the files

We understand that changes to long-standing services can present challenges, and we are here to support you through this transition. If you have any questions, feedback, or require assistance with migrating your data or setting up the alternative services, please submit our UHUnix Retirement feedback form (link) (UH Login required).

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to enhance our technological infrastructure and provide more robust and modern services to the University community.

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FAQs

Q1: How can I redirect traffic from my personal webpage to a different URL while UHUnix remains operational?

A: While UHUnix remains operational, users can redirect their personal webpage using an .htaccess file placed or created at their personal webpage’s directory (for example, ../username/public_html/.htaccess).

Example of the contents of the .htaccess file:

Redirect 301 /~<username>/ <url>

Where <username> is the username of the account and <url> is the target URL of the website the visitor’s browser should redirect to.

Q2: Can I directly migrate my personal webpage to a Google Site or another service?

A: A direct 1:1 migration is not possible. See https://support.google.com/sites/?hl=en#topic=7184580 for documentation to assist with creating content in Google Sites.

Q3: I have personal homepage set up with a departmental UH account in UHUNIX, what are my options?

A: While you can use Google Sites to host your departmental webpage, departments may also want to consider looking into ITS' Web Hosting Service: https://www.hawaii.edu/its/webservice/faq.php

Q4: How do I request a sites.hawaii.edu/<your_site> URL?

A: You don't need to make a request, it should automatically take effect once your Google Site is published! For example, if you publish sites.google.com/hawaii.edu/helpdesk, you will be able to use sites.hawaii.edu/helpdesk.

Note: If you created and published your Google Site before May 15, 2021, your current URL may be sites.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/<your_site>. If this is the case, please contact the ITS Help Desk (link) for possible options based on your current use case or see Google@UH - Workaround for sites.hawaii.edu/sitename Not Redirecting to sites.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/sitename (link)

Q5: How do I request a temporary redirect from my www2.hawaii.edu/~username personal webpage to a new URL after UHUnix is no longer available?

A: This feature is available to be configured at https://www.hawaii.edu/its/www2redirect/ and can be used to temporarily redirect traffic to any page on www2.hawaii.edu/~username/* to a different URL (e.g. Google Sites or External URL). 

This temporary redirect service will be discontinued after 7/2/2027.

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