What that actually implies will be left as an exercise for the hopelessly bored. For the strong of stomach, here's a picture. Slashdot and Mr. Cranky can be addictive. I'll add more links as it occurs to my addled brain. The local resources section is slowly coming online.
Local software refers to software used within the department for connectivity and productivity.
You are required to be located on an approved subnet to access any of this software. The help section is mainly geared towards local Physics users, but fell free to read any portion of it if you think it'll help make your laundry whiter or your breath fresher. Most of this section is geared towards setting up email clients, installing and using SSH clients for Windows or Mac, accessing departmental file and printing shares from PC clients, yadda, yadda, yadda. If you're new to the realm of Free Software , I've provided a list of links that you should check out. If you're not using free software, you should be.