CSC128: Fall 2008 - Introduction to Linux

Syllabus

Instructor: Sean Mauney
email: smauney@parkland.edu
website: http://www.csit.parkland.edu/~smauney/
Office Hours:http://www.csit.parkland.edu/~smauney/office_hours.html
Office Phone: (217)353-2004
Office: B132

Required Text:

Schedule:

Students should check the schedule on the web often as it will be updated throught the semester. All important due dates and extra information will be posted the the class schedule during the semester.

Grading:

There are will be a lot of assignments/labs/quizzes during the semester.
The following points and policies will apply to the various types of assignments:

• Labs - in class: due by the end of class in which they are assigned, 10 to 15 points, no late labs will be accepted. Your lowest lab score will be dropped in the calculation of your grade.
  
• Participation - there will several participations required for the class. You will make several postings or participate in class as directed for 10 points. In order to qualify you must make a significant contribution or ask specific questions thereby adding to the class experience for all.
• Exercises - in angel.parkland.edu . Exercises are worth 15 points each, they are posted in angel and you have 1 week to take them as many times as you wish before the due date. No late exercises will be accepted. Your lowest exercise score will be dropped in the calculation of your grade.
  
• Quizzes - in class: given at the beginning of class on the announced days, 25 points each. There will be several quizzes, they will be announced at least 1 week in advance, no makeups will be given unless arranged for in advance.
  
• Exams - in class: There will be 3 exams and a final. Exams are worth 100 points each and the final will be worth 200 points. Contact me in advance if you must miss a test. You must take all exams to pass the class. Exams 1, 2(the midterm), and 3 are non-comprehensive, covering only the material that we have studied since the last exam. The final is comprehensive.
  
• Projects - due in class. You will have at least one week to do each of the 3 or 4 projects that are assigned. projects are worth 50 points and a 15 point late penalty applies to late projects. Projects will only be graded one time.
  
• Hybrid Class Additional Syllabus Information

A: 94% and up
B: 84%-93%
C: 74%-83%
D: 64%-73%
F: less than 64%

Course Description:

This course serves as an introduction to UNIX/Linux. We will not cover advanced topics; they will be covered in later courses.

The objectives of this course are to learn:

• the history of UNIX and Linux systems
• how to use GNU commands and Utilities
• the Linux file system structure and file management
• how to create and edit files on Linux
• inter-system communications
• to use and program with the bash shell
• to use the network from Linux
• to use the X Window System
• compiling C programs on Linux

Attendance:

This class will be taught with interactive exercises during class and lab time, so I seriously advise you to attend every scheduled class. Important (testable) information will be given during class that is not in the text. If the instructor feels that you will be unable to succeed due to poor attendance, you may be withdrawn from the course.

Office Hours:

My office hours are posted on the web at http://www.csit.parkland.edu/~smauney /office_hours.html . Please come see me during my office hours if you have any questions. I will typically also be available immediately before each class period in the classroom, and at the class breaks.

No Food or Drinks:

It is Parkland policy that no food or drinks are permitted in the lab at any time. Computer equipment, carpeting and furniture have been damaged in the past, and we want to prevent this from happening in the future.

Courtesy:

If you carry a pager or cell phone to class, please set the device to vibrate mode before class, if your device supports it. Otherwise, please turn the ringer off.

Class and Lab time are not for surfing the net or checking email or playing games or anything besides learning to use UNIX; these activities can be very distracting to other students who would like to pay attention. Feel free to do these things at another time or in another place.

Student Email Account:

Students should access their Parkland email accounts at http://stu.parkland.edu at least weekly to obtain information about course or college announcements.Students can call (217) 351-2561 for help with their student email accounts.There is someone available at this number to answer questions from 2-4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Withdrawal Procedure:

It is the student's responsibility to monitor his/her progress in this course. If after consulting with the instructor, the student feels it becomes necessary to withdraw from this course, it is the responsibility of the student to do so. Please check with the office of admissions to find out the final date for withdrawal with "W" grade from courses. If you have questions about the withdrawal procedure, see your Parkland College catalog.

If you believe that you have a disability for which you may need an academic accommodation (eg. Alternate testing environment, use of assistive technology, or other classroom assistance), please contact:
Becky Osborne
Coordinator, Office of Disability Services
X 148 353-2082
bosborne@parkland.edu

Getting Help and Peer Tutoring:

Students should keep current with the material at all times and should seek my help early with any questions. I usually hang out on shaula.csit.parkland.edu when I am in my office. You should run the command: ytalk smauney and if I am at a console I will be happy to help you with anything you may need. You should also come to visit during my office hours if you are having problems or questions.

Parkland College provides a free tutoring service.A schedule of times is posted outside the Peer Tutoring Lab.