CSIS 48 UNIX/Linux Operating System: Spring 2008

Catalog Description:

This course will provide the basics of the UNIX/Linux operating system, including the history and the use of UNIX/Linux with hands-on experience using commands and files. Topics to be covered include basic UNIX/Linux commands, text editing, files and directories, electronic mail, pipes and filters, and shell programming. This course has the option of a letter grade or credit/no credit. Units: 4.0

Hours: 3 Lecture, 3 Laboratory

Advisory: CSIS 124

End of catalog description.

Immediately, AFTER YOU SIGN UP for this class send me e-mail, so I can send you instructions.

Instructor: Dennie Van Tassel

Phone: 782-0863 (e-mail works better for contacting me)

E-mail: dvantassel@gavilan.edu

Assignment sheet: If you sign up for the class and tell me, I can e-mail you the assignment sheet for the class so you can start early, but I will not send you the assignment sheet until you sign up for the class. All these class Green Sheets are stored at my campus web site.

Office Hours: 1.0 hour before and after class when this class is meeting. Open computer lab, Sundays, 4:00 – 7:45 PM, at Morgan Hill Community Center area. The lab is available for you to work during that time.

Campus web address: http://www.gavilan.edu

The web site is good place to look for a wide variety of information, such as college catalog, course description, phone numbers, etc.

Class Hours: Regular lectures, Tuesday evenings at the Gilroy site. Spring 2008: Hybrid class, which means I will have regular lectures, but you can also take it as an online course. All students will need to come in a couple times and show me you can use the editors and do simple commands. If this is a problem, you can talk to me about it. If you live FAR away then that would be enough reason to not come into class.

Warning: Unless you have UNIX/Linux installed at home or have access to it at work, it is very difficult to take this class in the online version. If you come to class, I will provide you with UNIX accounts to work on, but I am not going to help you install UNIX on your home computer.

If you use the Linux accounts that I provide you, you will be able to access your UNIX/Linux account from all three college locations, (Hollister, Morgan Hill, or Gilroy) but not from your house.

While the class is meeting I will be available at the computer lab before and after class. We have an Open Computer lab available at the Morgan Hill site, on Sundays 4-7:45 PM. There are also two machines in the student room near the front door that you can use when the building is open.

Instructor class description: This class is a beginning UNIX Operating class. This class will be useful for all versions on UNIX including LINUX. We will work through much of the assigned textbook. You will need the textbook the first meeting of class.

Student Responsibilities: If you are taking the lecture version come to class. Read the text. You need spend several hours EVERY week on this class. If you disappear AND stop working on this class, I may drop you.

Texts & Materials: A Practical Guide to Linux(R) Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming Unix, by Mark Sobell, Prentice Hall ISBN: 0-131-47823-0. This is a required book. I give you assignments out of the book. The most common characteristic of people that do not pass this course is that they did not buy a textbook. It is like trying to make a long trip with out a map ‑ very difficult and in this case impossible. There are different versions of this book for different dialect of UNIX. You can use another version if it fits your system better, but the versions I have listed is very current and quite cheap on the web.

You can save yourself a lot of wasted time and learn a lot more if you read the textbook. Read the first 3 chapters of the book the first week.

This is a class for beginners, but you will need some basic skills in text editing and operating system use such as opening and saving files. You can probably learn most of the Windows basics in the class.

Assignment: Using the computer type up a short note about yourself. Please indicate your name, e-mail address, computer experience, previous programming background, and why you are taking the class. This is the first assignment in the online class. Also indicate what grade you plan to get in the class and how you will obtain this grade. Please do this assignment before leaving the first class.

You do not need a computer at home to do this class if you come to class.

Attend class: Do not get behind in the class. The class is accumulative. What you learn this week will be used to do the work next week. If you miss classes you will soon be lost. Plan to miss no classes. Bring your textbook and all handouts to class each meeting.

Grading: This course has Credit/No Credit Option. You will normally get a grade in the class, but if you fill out a Credit/No Credit petition before 1/3 of the class has passed, you can take the class for credit/no credit. Petitions are available at the office or registrar. Please tell me if you do request a Credit/No Credit Option. In order to get a Credit, you need to earn at least a C grade.

If you want or need a good grade because you want to transfer to a 4-year school, are on academic probation, want a scholarship, or just want good grades do the work for a good grade. Don’t bother telling me you need a good grade the last week if you have not done the work for a good grade.

Incompletes: I seldom give incompletes and never give them just because you have not done the work. Almost no one ever finishes an Incomplete. Occasionally, people that have been doing the class work have severe family or personal problems and I do give them an Incomplete.

Drops: If you stop attending class, you must fill out a class drop form or you will get an F grade in the class. This does not do you, me, or the school any good. So if you stop taking the class, drop it at the A&R office.

Special needs: If you have special needs such as hearing problem, visual problems, or other needs, please tell me after class and I will try to assist you.

After all that, this is a fun class. You will learn a lot that will help you in your other classes and help you obtain useful job skills. I am interested in suggestions about assignments, lectures, and the material covered

Next classes to take: Take CSIS 49 Shell Programming. Also, look at CSIS 52 UNIX System Administration if you want to learn how to take care of a UNIX system. If you have programming experience take CSIS 45 C++ Programming, otherwise take CSIS 10 BASIC Programming first.

Address of this page: http://hhh.gavilan.edu/csis48/csis48.html
Please feel free to send us your comments and questions.
Send e-mail messages to Dennie Van Tassel at dvantassel @ gavilan.edu
Last revised on November 23, 2007.