Syllabus --- Unix and Advanced Programming

• Text: "Unix in a Nutshell"
  • Author:Arnold Robbins, Daniel Gilly
  • Publisher:OReilley
  • ISBN: 565924274
  • Amazon.com page for purchasing this book
• Text: "Advanced Linux Programming"
  • Author:Mark Mitchell, Jeffrey Oldham, and Alex Samuel
  • Publisher:New Riders Publishing
  • ISBN 0-7357-1043-0
  • Downloadable version
  • Amazon.com page for purchasing this book

Goals of this course

To give the student proficiency in using the Unix operating system in its various manifestations, including Solaris and Linux. This course will also cover setting up and administering a Unix machine, and programming in the Unix environment

We will focus on Linux because it is:

• the most widely used form of Unix
• a form of Unix that can be installed on students' own machines. It comes with a selection of free software comparable to that available on the departmental Sun systems.

Discussion group for this class

Grading policy

There will be at least 3 exams, all given as fill-out forms on web pages accessible from this page. When the exams are graded, grades will be emailed to students (along with the correct answers to questions). Final grades will depend on written assignments, and exams. The lowest exam grade will be dropped. Written assignments count as 1/10 of an exam.

At any time, students may find out their current grades by consulting this web page using the password given in emails with exam grades.

Exams use XML and (sometimes MathML) that can only be viewed with the Mozilla web browser, downloadable from
Mozilla Home Page

Exam 3 (due 8/13/2002)

Topics

1. The first assignment covers obtaining and installing RedHat Linux on a student's machine. This involves:
   • Partitioning the hard drive. This can be done without destroying the Windows software already present.
     Parted can resize (i.e., shrink) Windows partitions.
     See Parted Home Page and Bootdisk form of Parted (see the README file in this directory).
   • Creating a swap partition.
   • Deciding on the software configuration to get.
   • Configuring the network: ppp and dsl connections.
   • Configuring X windows. Choosing a desktop.
2. The Unix tree-oriented file system. Access permissions of files in Unix.
3. Editing text files: emacs and vi.
4. The bash shell. Basic shell commands. Navigating directories.
5. Attaching devices to the tree.
6. System configuration files: the /etc directory.
7. The boot process in Linux: run-levels and starting up services.
8. Java:
   • Online Book on Java, level 1
   • Tutorial on Java, level 2
9. Computer security issues.

Remaining assignments
Internet access via a modem

Unix Links

History

Unix Timeline

Solaris

This is the operating system used most commonly on Sun systems.

• Solaris Home Page
• Free software ported to Solaris
• Unofficial guide to Solaris

Free implementations of Unix

All of these are effective substitutes for Solaris and make the user's PC functionally equivalent to the Sun systems in most respects. Linux is the most widely used version of Unix --- it is Microsoft's only real competition.

• Software: RedHat Linux 7.3 (or later) from Linux Central
  This comes with no support. If you want a supported copy of Linux, purchase an official copy from RedHat Corporation
• Recommended book (optional)
  • Title: Linux: Installation, Configuration, Use
  • Author: Michael Kofler
  • Publisher: Addison-Wesley
  • ISBN: 0 201 59628 8
  • Bookpool web page to purchase this book
• Cheap Bytes (a cheap source for Unix CDs)
• Linux Documentation Project
• Linux Home Page
• Yellow Dog Linux (a commercial distribution for the Macintosh PPC)
• MkLinux Home Page (Apple's Linux for the Macintosh Power PC)
• The three BSD's (the first two use the revolutionary UVM virtual memory algorithm):
  • OpenBSD (the world's most secure operating system). Runs on the following architectures: x86 (of course), sparc, amiga, hp30, Macintosh 68K, mvme, 68K, and Macintosh PowerPC
  • NetBSD (a highly portable operating system). Runs on everything (well, almost everything). It was the first unix-like OS to be ported to the Macintosh 68K.
  • FreeBSD (one of the world's fastest operating system and basis for Apple OSX). Runs on: x86, Alpha, and Macintosh PowerPC.

Other Links

• HOWTO's for Linux
• Link to get Ximian version of Gnome Desktop
  After installing this, run 'red-carpet' (as root) and:
  1. Subscribe to all channels that interest you (at least the one corresponding to your Linux distribution and Gnome).
  2. Download and install all updates for your Linux distribution (these updates include bug fixes and enhanced security).

Software available for Linux

• Productivity Software:
  • Open Office
    A free drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office
  • Gnome Desktop
    Contains a word processor, spreadsheet, and drawing programs.
• Web servers
  Apache --- this comes with the Redhat distribution. The actual web site files are located in
  /var/www/html directory. Point your browser to
  127.0.0.1
• SQL-based Free Databases
  • Howto for the Postgres database system
    Note: You can ignore the material on building Postgres since Redhat Linux comes with it (if you opted to install it).
  • SAPDb --- from SAP AG, developer of the SAP corporate information system