CST8207 Week 01 Notes
Orientation, Introduction, and Course Linux Server

Ian! D. Allen – www.idallen.com

Fall 2018 - September to December 2018 - Updated 2018-09-09 01:51 EDT

Tux the Linux Penguin mascot

1 Orientation Activities – 12 noon Tuesday September 4 2018Indexup to index

Your CST Orientation will explain how things work here at Algonquin.

Attend the CST Program Orientation starting at 12 noon Tuesday September 4 in the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence 1st Floor Lobby (Minto Hall: with the wall of plants). The ACCE/CA Building is across the pedestrian bridge, west of Woodroffe Avenue, near the OCTranspo Baseline stop.

Map of Algonquin College (including parking)

See also the Student Survival Guide for basic Algonquin College information.

2 Regular classes begin Wednesday September 5Indexup to index

Welcome to CST8207 GNU/Linux Operating Systems I, taught by Ian! Allen and others. You can find out more about your Instructor through links on the Course Home Page.

Regular academic classes begin on Wednesday September 5. Check your ACSIS timetable for class start times and locations.

To avoid falling behind in the course, some of the listed activities here should be completed before you attend your first CST8207 lecture or laboratory class this week.

Your mobile computing device (laptop) is absolutely necessary during your lab periods; you can’t do any of the lab work without it!

2.1 Missing CST8207 Monday and Tuesday lab periods this first weekIndexup to index

See the list of all CST8207 lab periods in the Prof Timetable.

Due to missing two days of classes due to a holiday Monday and orientation Tuesday, six out of ten students miss their scheduled CST8207 lab periods this first week. Not all of you could fit into the four remaining lab periods later in the week, even if your schedules allowed it.

Therefore: Lab period attendance this first week is optional. You don’t need to attend a lab period if you can complete the Week 1 activities (this document) without assistance. Come to a lab period this week only if you need help.

Students who missed their scheduled lab periods on Monday and Tuesday this week can try to squeeze in to some other lab period on Wednesday through Friday if they need assistance. If that doesn’t work, you can attend your regular Monday/Tuesday lab period next week.

For Week 1, any students needing help may attend any of the four CST8207 lab sections if there is space. If you miss your scheduled lab period, come to one of the other ones. See the list of all lab periods in the Prof Timetable on the Course Home Page.

3 Mobile course: Laptop always requiredIndexup to index

You are enrolled in a mobile program of study where you provide your own mobile computing device.

Bring your working laptop (mobile device) to all your lectures and your lab periods, including your first lecture and lab period this week.

Your mobile computing device (laptop) is absolutely necessary during your lab periods; you can’t do any of the lab work without it!

4 Weekly: Three hours of lecture; two hours of lab periodIndexup to index

Your CST8207 course is three hours of lecture and two hours of lab period every week. Your three hours of lecture (theory) is divided into a two-hour theory class and a one-hour theory class every week.

The course has too many students to fit into one lecture room, so the same lecture content is delivered twice each week, once to the 010 theory lecture section and once to the 020 theory lecture section. The two sections have reasonably synchronized content, so if you know you will miss one theory class you might be able to attend the same class given to the other section.

You can find a list of all labs and theory/lecture sections in the Prof Timetable, available on the Course Home Page.

5 Getting Started – Six Week 1 ActivitiesIndexup to index

You may attend any of the four remaining CST8207 lab periods this week if you need assistance in doing any of the key activities listed below. The Prof Timetable has the list of all lab periods as well as a schedule of all the lecture sections.

Do all these activities this week (Week 1):

5.1 Activity 0 – CST Orientation 12 noon Tuesday September 4Indexup to index

Go to your CST Orientation 12 noon Tuesday September 4!

5.2 Activity 1 – Get your ACSIS accountIndexup to index

Before attending any classes or labs, you must use ACSIS to get your Algonquin network account.

Make sure you are registered in CST8207 and you have your Algonquin account userid that is eight characters, starting with the first few letters of your last name. (This is the same userid that you use to log in to the Brightspace system.)

You must be registered in CST8207 and have this account userid before you can attend a lab period and log in to the Course Linux Server via the ACSecure wireless network.

You cannot use the ACGuest network to connect to Brightspace or to the Course Linux Server; you must use your network account userid and the ACSecure wireless network.

5.3 Activity 2 – Know how the course worksIndexup to index

Read the Course Introduction for important details on how the course is structured and what is expected of you.

There is a quiz on this material (Quiz #01 - Course Information Quiz) posted on Brightspace under Brightspace Quizzes.

You must know how the course works. A poor score on this quiz will require your professor to have a serious talk with you.

5.4 Activity 3 – Upload a file for practice to BrightspaceIndexup to index

Practice creating a file on your mobile device and uploading it through your web browser to the practice upload area in the Assignments section on Brightspace Content.

The upload procedure is described under Brightspace Submission upload method at the end of your first assignment Assignment #01 in this course. (The Assignment describes uploading two files. In the practice upload area, you only need to upload one, and the name doesn’t matter.)

Do not upload your first assignment into the practice upload area or vice-versa. The practice upload area is for practice only. It is not marked.

You can get help with this activity in any lab period this week.

5.5 Activity 4 – Create a Lynda.com account and view videosIndexup to index

You can get help with this activity in any lab period this week.

5.6 Activity 5 – Log in to the Course Linux Server (CLS)Indexup to index

Your professor will show you how to do this in class, but you don’t have to wait for that if you can follow the posted directions.

Understand how a Remote Login works, then follow the directions in the Course Linux Server page to download terminal emulation software (e.g. PuTTY) and use it to remotely log in to the CLS from your mobile device (laptop). (Students using Macintosh OSX can use the built-in Terminal program instead of PuTTY.)

Your special password for the CLS is not the same password that you use for Brightspace! See the Brightspace course announcements to learn the special password you must use for the CLS.

You can get help with this activity in any lab period this week.

5.7 Activity 6 – Complete Assignment 1 on Head Shot and Multi-TaskingIndexup to index

Do the weekly readings in this file and then complete Assignment #01 and upload your plain text answer file and head-shot image file to the correct CST8207 Assignment 1 area in the Assignments section on Brightspace Content before the due date.

Your instructor will show you how to practice uploading files into the practice upload area on Brightspace in your classes, but you don’t have to wait for that if you can follow the posted directions.

Do not upload your first assignment to the practice upload area! The practice upload area is for practice only. It is not marked.

You may also get a head start on Assignment #02 – Course Linux Server simple commands.

6 Readings, Assignments, Labs, Tests, and ToDoIndexup to index

6.1 Read (at least) these things (All The Words)Indexup to index

Essential reading:

  1. Week 01 Notes – this file – Read All The Words
  2. Course Home Page – this EXTERNAL Home Page is Internet-accessible.
  3. Course Outline – overview of the entire course.
  4. Test Instructions – Read this (all the words) before your first midterm test.
  5. Course Introduction – Outline, Timetable, Marks – these are the rules for this course.
  6. Remote Login – using networks to connect to other computers such as the Course Linux Server
  7. Course Linux Server – a Linux computer accessible on the network by Remote Login
  8. For next week: File Transfer – File transfer to/from Unix/Linux machines. You need to know this to upload your assignments for marking.
  9. List of Commands – Command names you should know, listed by week

Background reading on the how and why of computer systems administration:

  1. The roles of professor and student in modern education
  2. Learning the Syadmin Trade
  3. Why Learn the Unix/Linux Command Line and Shells
  4. Linux and Sysadmin News in the World
  5. How Linux is Built (short video)

6.2 Assignments and lab work this weekIndexup to index

Check the due date for each assignment and put a reminder in your agenda, calendar, phone, and digital assistant. Just like in the Real World, not all due dates are on the same days or at the same times.

Your course work for most of the term will be done by Remote Login to a Course Linux Server (CLS) machine using your Algonquin userid (the same userid that you use for Brightspace) and a special CLS server password (not your Brightspace password) that you can find in the Brightspace course announcements. See the connection information in Course Linux Server and work with your instructor during lab time if you have problems connecting to the server.

Your first assignment does not need access to the Course Linux Server. You can complete it using any computer, even one at a library.

6.2.1 Comments on completing Assignment #01Indexup to index

What Windows and Macintosh programs can create a Plain Text file, needed for Assignment #01?

  • Microsoft Windows uses versions of Notepad.
  • Mac OSX TextEdit needs to save as Plain Text, not Rich Text:
    1. Open TextEdit
    2. In the menu bar (located at top left side), click “TextEdit”
    3. Click “Preferences”
    4. In the “New Document” tab, under the heading “Format”, select radio button for “Plain Text” (As opposed to “Rich Text”)

Do not copy and paste text out of a word processor!

Do not use non-English settings on your computer!

6.2.2 Lab attendance for Week 1 – attend any labIndexup to index

Due to missing two days of school due to a holiday Monday and orientation Tuesday, students with labs on Monday and Tuesday will have to try to squeeze in to some other lab period on Wednesday through Friday if they need assistance this week. (You don’t need to attend any lab period this week if you can do all the work without help.)

For Week 1, Students may attend any of the CST8207 lab sections if there is space. If you miss your scheduled lab period, come to one of the other ones. See the list of lab periods in the Prof Timetable on the Course Home Page.

6.3 Upcoming testsIndexup to index

Follow this link to see all your upcoming Quizzes and Tests. The dates are also posted on the Course Home Page and on Brightspace CST8207.

For full marks, read the Test Instructions (all the words) before your midterm tests.

  1. First Midterm test: 45 minutes; in your one-hour lecture class in Week 6.
  2. Second Midterm test: 45 minutes; in your one-hour lecture class in Week 10.

Tests take place in your one-hour lecture class, not in your lab period. You must write the test in the lecture class in which you are registered.

7 Notes from the ClassroomIndexup to index

Take Notes in Class
Author: 
| Ian! D. Allen, BA, MMath  -  idallen@idallen.ca  -  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| Home Page: http://idallen.com/   Contact Improv: http://contactimprov.ca/
| College professor (Free/Libre GNU+Linux) at: http://teaching.idallen.com/
| Defend digital freedom:  http://eff.org/  and have fun:  http://fools.ca/

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