IST 280: Intro to Linux. Syllabus.
| Year: | 2008 | ||||||
| Semester: | Spring | ||||||
| Classroom: | Morrow Library 119 | ||||||
| Class time: | Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am - 10:45am | ||||||
| Class web page: | http://ist.marshall.edu/ist280 | ||||||
| Instructor: | Daniel Dementiev | ||||||
| Office: | Prichard Hall 208 | ||||||
| Phone: | (304) 696-7241 | ||||||
| E-mail: | dementiev@marshall.edu | ||||||
| Office hours: |
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| Credit hours: | 3 | ||||||
| Prerequisites: | none | ||||||
Course Description
Intro Linux course presents students with an open source alternative to Windows operating system. This course discusses installation, simple administrations, and usage of Linux systems as both workstation and server. Questions about where to find, how to install and configure, and how to use open source software will be covered. Emphasis on hands-on assignments and projects.
Text books and computer requirements
The following book is required for the course:
Additional reading material will be published at the end of each lecture notes on the class web page. Each student has to have an access to a computer with a web browser to access course materials and additional reading materials on the internet.
Objectives
By the end of the course student should be able to:
- discuss practical differences between Windows and Linux operating systems;
- install a linux workstation and perform a simple configuration;
- use linux system for everyday purposes;
- install additional programs from packages and from sources;
- administer users and groups;
- develop and use shell scripts;
- set up different network services;
- create and administer mixed Windows/Linux network.
Tentative lecture schedule
The following is a tentative schedule for the class. Please note that the actual schedule will depend on students' performance.
| Week # | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Intro to Linux. What is it? Where to get? Fedora, Mandriva, Kubuntu VMWare |
| 2 | Installation of Fedora 8 and simple configuration |
| 3 | Linux desktop. KDE, Gnome and other linux desktops. |
| 4 | Working with Linux shell commands. |
| 5 | Where to get and how to install applications? |
| 6 | Internet and Linux |
| 7 | Intro to Linux administration User administration |
| 8 |
Automating system tasks: shell scripting, system initialization, and scheduling Backup and restore. |
| 9 | Security issues Setting up a LAN |
| 10 | Setting up a file server |
| 11 | Setting up a web server |
| 12 | Setting up a MySQL database server |
| 13 | Setting up PHP, Oracle client, and other services for web server |
| 14 | Setting up a mail server |
| 15 | Setting up an FTP server Setting up a print server |
Special dates
Please observe the following dates:
| First Day of Class | January 14, Monday |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday | January 21, Monday |
| Last Day to Drop this Course | March 21, Friday |
| Spring Break | March 23, Sunday — March 30, Sunday |
| "Dead Week" | April 28, Monday — May 2, Friday |
| Last Class Day | May 2, Friday |
| Project 1 due day | February 29, 2008 the day is not final and may be changed later (see the class page) |
| Project 2 due day | March 30, 2008 the day is not final and may be changed later (see the class page) |
| Project 3 due day | April 29, 2008 the day is not final and may be changed later (see the class page) |
| Final Exam day / final project due | Thursday, May 8, 2008 |
The complete academic calendar can be found at http://www.marshall.edu/calendar/academic/spring2008.asp.
Grading Policy
The final grade will consists of the following parts:
| 15 Quizzes 2% each: | 30% |
| 3 projects 15% each: | 45% |
| Final exam or final project: | 25% |
| Attendance and participation: | 5% |
Yes, you can get more than 100% by coming to every lecture and actively participating in the discussions, but I wouldn't count on this too much :). These 5 extra percents is your insurance that allows you to miss a couple of quizzes or make some mistakes in the projects and still be in perfect shape.
Attendance Policy
I do not take any attendance notes. The only way for me to keep this kind of information is your quizzes. You will have one pop-up quiz approximately every week and the grade for the quiz also serves as an indication of your presents in class. Unfortunately, this means that if you late for class and missed a quiz this is considered as missed class :(. On the other hand, you do not need to bring any excuses if you have to miss a class. All you need to do is to come and make a prior arranges to take the quiz you are about to miss (if there is one). This is the only circumstance when I allow you to make up a missed quiz.
Make up policy and late submission policy
Make up policy is very simple — no make up quizzes will be given. The only exception to this rule is described in the previous section.
Late project submission: I will be deducting points from project grades for projects submitted after the due date. Each day will cost you 5 points. This rule will count the calendar days. That means if the project is due on March 17 and it's been submitted on March 18, 5 points will be taken off, even if the due time was 11:59pm and the project was actually submitted at 1am.
Academic dishonesty policy
Students who utilize other people´s code, parts of projects or papers, thoughts, or ideas must provide appropriate references to the original recourses. Failure to provide such documentation will result in a failing grade for the assignment, and may result in a failing grade for the course. Please refer to University academic dishonesty policy (http://www.marshall.edu/academic-affairs/Academic%20Dishonesty%20Policy.pdf) for more information. Please note that collaborations and team work is not prohibited (unless otherwise specified), but you should clearly state in the report or program who you worked with and which participant did what part of the project.