CoCalc News
Starting today, our default software environment for new projects is based on Ubuntu 24.04. You can still select the previous default, Ubuntu 22.04 (available until June 2025), when creating new projects. While we plan to support Ubuntu 22.04 for a while longer, our main focus going forward will be on Ubuntu 24.04.
Existing projects are unaffected. If you want to switch, you can do this any time via Project Settings → Project Control → Software Environment.
To see what’s included, check out our software inventory.
Programming Languages and Features
Python: There is now a new "CoCalc Python" environment, featuring a curated set of popular packages. This replaces the previously called "system-wide" environment. Terminals now run inside this environment by default. The main benefit is, that this allows to manage Python packages without depending on system-wide packages, installed for system utilities. As before, you can also use the Anaconda-based environment via
anaconda2025, and we continue to offer a Colab-compatible environment.R: We now provide a broader selection of R packages, powered by r2u, making it easier and more convenient to get started.
SageMath: The latest version of SageMath is available in the new environment. For earlier SageMath releases, please switch to the "Ubuntu 22.04" environment.
LaTeX: This is now running a full and up-to-date Texlive distribution. We plan to update its packages with each new software environment update.
We will be performing a critical update on Saturday, June 21st, from 6am-7am PT, which will result in approximately one hour of downtime for CoCalc services.
This update is crucial for improving the stability and performance of CoCalc. Specifically, we will be addressing issues related to using NATS.io in our communication layer. We are replacing it with a new solution called "Conat".
Conat is the result of significant development effort aimed at providing a more robust and efficient communication backbone for CoCalc. For those interested in the technical details and the hard work that has gone into this, you can explore the GitHub pull request here: https://github.com/sagemathinc/cocalc/pull/8346.
Please plan accordingly for this brief interruption in service. We will send out further reminders closer to the date of the downtime.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely, - The CoCalc Team
This week, NVIDIA highlighted CoCalc as a key platform for teaching with its CUDA-Q academic materials. In their technical blog post, NVIDIA mentions how CoCalc can provide a seamless learning environment for the next wave of quantum computing specialists.
This might also be a good time to add that we were officially accepted as an NVIDIA Inception Program Member a while back!
Our Chief Sales Officer, Blaec Bejarano, has had the pleasure of meeting Monica Van Dieren, a Senior Technical Marketing Engineer at NVIDIA, at the Joint Mathematics Meeting in Seattle this past January. Their discussions continued at the NVIDIA GTC conference in San Jose in March, solidifying our shared vision for accessible and powerful quantum computing education.
NVIDIA's CUDA-Q Academic program is a comprehensive suite of Jupyter notebooks designed to bridge the gap between theoretical quantum mechanics and practical application. These resources are now readily available via CoCalc, allowing students and instructors to dive into complex topics like quantum machine learning and variational algorithms without the hassle of a complex setup.
The synergy between CoCalc's collaborative platform and NVIDIA's cutting-edge educational content creates an unparalleled learning experience. Students can work through CUDA-Q modules, leveraging CoCalc's powerful computational resources and real-time collaboration features. This integration is particularly highlighted in NVIDIA's post, which notes the ease of getting started on platforms like CoCalc.
For those eager to explore these resources, the CUDA-Q Academic GitHub repository is the perfect starting point: https://github.com/NVIDIA/cuda-q-academic/tree/main?tab=readme-ov-file
We are thrilled to be at the forefront of education, providing the tools necessary to train the quantum workforce of the future. The journey with NVIDIA is just beginning, and we look forward to empowering more learners around the globe.
The software environments "Ubuntu 22.04 (Default)" and "Ubuntu 24.04 (Testing)" now contain the most recent version of SageMath 10.6. You can select the software environment in Project Settings → Project Control → Software Environment. If you're already on the default Ubuntu 22.04 line, then you might have to restart your project to get the latest version.
Apart from that, don't forget to update the Sage Jupyter Kernel to run the latest version 😉
You can now use compute servers very easily with CoCalc's course management system. This video shows how to create a compute server associated to an assignment in a CoCalc course, then make private copies of that compute server available to all students in the class. You can easily set idle timeout, spend limits and a shutdown time for all student compute servers. You can also very easily control some or all servers in a class or install custom software on all servers.
This new functionality is the result of extensive discussions with many teachers who are already using CoCalc in the courses, and want to expand their classes to gives students real experience involving AI, deep learning and more using state of the art GPU's.
https://youtu.be/ikktaiw14Tw?si=_a6HxTRgDeN2NrVg
There are now four new compute server automatic shutdown and health check strategies: idle timeout, shutdown time, spending limit, and generic health check. Each can give you better insight into how your compute servers are used and save you substantial money. This video describes each in detail:
https://youtu.be/Kx_47fs_xcI?si=99Ex4yNQ14IVzkmD
Join Us at JMM for an Exclusive Meet & Greet and Live Demo with William Stein!
We are thrilled to announce a special opportunity to meet William Stein, the CEO and Founder of CoCalc, at the JMM meeting in Seattle, WA.
Don't miss this chance to engage with William as he presents a live demo of CoCalc! With numerous publications under his belt, William previously served as a tenured professor at the University of Washington until 2019, at which point he committed full-time to growing the CoCalc Platform.
William has made significant contributions to the field of Computational Algebraic Number Theory and is the creator of the Computer Algebra System Sage.
Come find us at booth 507 in the Exhibit Hall during the Grand Opening Reception.
Join Us at JMM for an Exclusive Meet & Greet and Live Demo with William Stein!
We are thrilled to announce a special opportunity to meet William Stein, the CEO and Founder of CoCalc, at the JMM meeting in Seattle, WA.
Don't miss this chance to engage with William as he presents a live demo of CoCalc! With numerous publications under his belt, William previously served as a tenured professor at the University of Washington until 2019, at which point he committed full-time to growing the CoCalc Platform.
William has made significant contributions to the field of Computational Algebraic Number Theory and is the creator of the Computer Algebra System Sage.
Come find us at booth 507 in the Exhibit Hall during the Grand Opening Reception.
SageMath, Inc. is pleased to announce successfully passing the SOC 2 Type II audit!
Service Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) is a framework that is governed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). With a SOC 2 audit, an independent service auditor reviewed our policies, procedures, and evidence to determine if the controls are designed and operating effectively. A SOC 2 report communicates our commitment to data security and protection of our customers information.
Request access to the report and view the current status of controls at https://trust.cocalc.com/