% CST8207 Introduction to the Course, Outline, Timetable, Marks
% Ian! D. Allen - idallen@idallen.ca - www.idallen.com
% Winter 2013 - January to April 2013 - Updated Thu Oct 24 00:56:42 EDT 2013
Course Description
==================
From the [Course Outline]:
> Students learn the basic concepts and core functions of the Linux operating
> system in a stand-alone environment. Students also learn basic command
> structures and capabilities of the Linux operating system, along with the
> skills required to perform common basic system configuration and management
> tasks. Typical tasks covered include, but are not limited to installing the
> operating system, working the command line shell,
> managing/mounting/creating file systems, file permissions overview,
> managing and troubleshooting the boot process, task automation, software
> management and customizing the operating system environment.
- 3 hours in classroom / 2 hours in laboratory / 4 hours homework (per
week)
- The [Timetable] page has the full class schedule for all classes and
sections.
- Midterm and Exam dates will be posted on the [Course Home Page]. Put
them in your own personal calendar and agenda!
Course Home Page
================
The [Course Home Page] is located off-campus. You can link to it via the
Algonquin [Blackboard] system or via either link below:
- - *.COM domain*
- - *.ORG domain*
Make sure you find the page for this term, not previous terms! Bookmark both
the `.com` and the `.org` page locations.
Read the [Course Home Page] carefully, including the parts about plagiarism
and course notes. Note the important dates. Write down *on paper* the
location of the Alternate Web Notes.
Course Documents on Blackboard
==============================
- [Blackboard] will contain links to all online course materials.
- Most links lead to content on public web servers and these public
materials will remain available forever in the Internet archives.
- Material that is **only** available on [Blackboard] will become
**inaccessible** when the course ends. Keep copies of anything you need
for future use.
- Google eventually indexes all public materials but not anything on
[Blackboard].
Laboratory work
===============
Your fees have paid for a CST Level 1 Hardware Kit that includes a hard
drive, anti-virus software, cables, etc. Take your Algonquin Student ID to
the on-campus New Technology Store to get the kit. Get the kit **before**
your classes and labs start!
Later in this course you will be using your caddy drive and/or laptop to
create Linux virtual machines. You will first learn how to configure your
caddy and your laptop and install VMware in your Windows course
(Desktop/Network Operating Systems) this term.
Labs are hands-on opportunities to experiment with the theoretical material
that you have learned through reading and lectures. Laboratory assignments
will be closely integrated with the theoretical material.
Students are expected to perform initial reading, analysis, and design before
their scheduled lab, to take advantage of the limited lab time. You will not
have enough time to do all the reading and the lab work in the same lab
period. Most lab work will require additional time outside of scheduled lab
hours - check the number of homework hours assigned to each of your courses.
The students’ ability to successfully complete the assigned exercises will
directly correlate with their level of success on tests and the final exam.
Much of the Test and Exam material will be based on the skills developed
doing the lab work.
NOTE: Knowing the specific answers to lab questions is never as important as
knowing how to generate the answers. Copying answers will not enable you to
pass the tests and exams. You need to know how things work! Assignment
answers that are found to be copied from other sources will be penalized.
> Generally, the use of mobile computing devices in the classroom is limited
> to note taking, accessing course materials, and performing a variety of
> independent or collaborative exercises assigned by the professor. Unless
> approved by the professor before the class starts, the use of mobile
> computing devices for personal surfing of the web, downloading of
> non-course related material, use of messaging software, or gaming is not to
> take place. - [Directive AA32]
Course Textbook and Readings
============================
There is no required textbook for this course. We have selected some
recommended (not required) textbooks for this course; the titles and purchase
information are given in the [Course Outline]. The recommended textbooks are
a reliable, comprehensive sources of accurate GNU/Linux information.
Motivated students may choose instead to discover and use free Internet
resources instead of a purchased textbook. Additional web-based notes will be
provided on-line.
You are expected to follow the course outline and keep up-to-date with the
reading in the web notes even when specific reading assignments are not
provided in class. Ideally, to optimize your understanding of the lecture
material, corresponding material should be read prior to the class in which
it is covered.
Note that just printing the class notes on paper is no substitute for
actually reading and understanding them. Print less and read more!
Course Handouts
===============
- In general, in-class handouts are not common in this class since all such
material will normally be posted to the web; students are expected to
download and read such materials on their own.
- Some course files with publisher-restricted distribution may be stored
only on the Algonquin [Blackboard] server. Make sure you get copies of
these files before the course ends, otherwise you will lose access to
them.
- Other than these restricted files, everything else is stored on a public
web server and will remain available forever in the Internet archives.
Course Marking Scheme
=====================
Tests and exams will be based largely on modified assignment questions. A
majority of the material for each test will come from material covered in the
immediately preceding weeks, but material is **cumulative** and many
questions (especially on the final exam) will be based on material covered
earlier in the course.
Midterm and Exam dates will be posted on the [Course Home Page]. Put these
dates in your own personal calendar and agenda! For full mark credit, read
the [Test Instructions] for important directions on how to enter your
answers on the mark-sense forms.
Quizzes - 10%
: Short quizzes based on previous lecture and assignment material.
Assignments and Homework - 15%
: Laboratory work is assigned weekly. It will be made available online and
you will submit your finished work electronically. Assignments that are
not submitted by their due dates may not be marked.
Two Mid-Term Tests - 15% + 25% = 40%
: Each Mid-Term Test is cumulative, with emphasis on material covered after
the previous Midterm Test. For full mark credit, read the [Test
Instructions] for important directions on how to enter your answers on
the mark-sense forms.
Final Exam - 35%
: The Final Exam is cumulative, with emphasis on material covered after the
last Midterm Test. For full mark credit, read the [Test Instructions]
for important directions on how to enter your answers on the mark-sense
forms.
For full mark credit, read the [Test Instructions] for important directions
on how to enter your answers on the mark-sense forms.
Instructor Contact Info and Timetable
=====================================
- Ian! D. Allen - - [www.idallen.com]
- Make sure you add `idallen@idallen.ca` and `alleni@algonquincollege.com`
to your email white-list, or you may not receive important email from me,
especially email with your marks in it. Whitelist me now!
- The [Timetable] page has Contact Information, Office Hours, and my full
Class Schedule. Know how to set up an office appointment with me by
email.
- The fastest way to email me is via the address. I
forward my Algonquin `alleni` email to the above address, but the
forwarding doesn’t work well. Email directly.
- Did you remember to whitelist my two email addresses?
- Use your Algonquin College email address to contact me, otherwise your
email may be thrown away or ignored as unsolicited email spam.
- No, I will *not* be Facebook friends with you until after you leave
Algonquin College, and even then only if we are actually, well, friends.
Attendance, Attention, and Success Factors
==========================================
Regular attendance is critical to course success (and to job success). If you
know the material and don’t need to come to classes, ask for a Prior Learning
Assessment. If you paid to be here, please be here.
If you are in class, shut your laptop, turn off your phone, and pay attention
to your lecturer. The person at the front of the room cannot compete with the
entire Internet and your personal phonebook for your attention - he doesn’t
have the budget. If you’re bored or falling asleep, take notes.
Missed deadlines (including tests)
----------------------------------
From Claude Brulé, Vice President, Academic (October 21, 2013):
*College Academic Council has endorsed the following policy statement on
student absences and this is supported by Deans Council: Addressing student
absence from class requires a common sense approach, assumes honesty, and
allows faculty to exercise judgment while keeping student success foremost in
mind.*
a. *The student is asked to contact the course professor before the class
takes place to indicate that he/she is ill. If the student does not make
the attempt, then they may be subject to whatever penalty is outlined in
the course outline.*
b. *For prolonged illness, or where more than one assessment is missed, the
course professor can request the student to provide a doctor’s note in
order to help accommodate the situation.*
Lab Attendance
--------------
**Lab Attendance** is *recorded* but not *mandatory*. If you fail to show up
for a lab period, I will record you as “Absent” and I will then have to email
you to ask you why you missed your lab period and whether you are still in
the course.
If you email me *first*, before your lab period, to tell me you won’t be
there, I will record your reason and you won’t be listed as “Absent”. Let me
know ahead of time when you need to miss a lab period. You don’t have to be
here, but you do have to tell me if you are missing a lab period.
If an employer calls me up and asks me about your reliability, your
unexplained absences will count against me giving you a job recommendation as
a reliable person.
Take Notes in Class
===================
You will need to take notes in class. Not everything I say ends up in these
online files. Passing the information through your body onto paper or into a
computer helps you remember it, even if you never read the notes later.
If you have a question about course content, the first thing I will ask is to
see your notes, to see what you wrote down about the topic. Often the answer
is there!
![Take Notes in Class]
Plan your Workload
==================
The overall term workload usually overwhelms students who try to leave
everything to the last minute. You need to put in approximately an extra hour
per day, per course, to keep up. There aren’t enough hours in a day to catch
up in mid-term.
Late Assignments; Submit on Time
================================
Late assignments are penalized, usually resulting in a mark of zero. The due
date for an assignment is given in the assignment. Read each assignment to
know the due date. Not every assignment is due on the same weekday or at the
same time; pay attention and record each due date in your weekly calendars.
If your boss asks you to deliver to him a product before he walks into a
client meeting, having the product ready after the meeting is not useful. Be
on time.
I give extensions for assignments delayed due to illness or accident. Contact
me before the due date to get an extension.
Read your EMail
===============
You must read your Algonquin course email regularly (daily).
EMail is a critical component of course delivery for this course. If you
don’t read your Algonquin College email account daily, make sure that your
forward your College email to an account that you do read. See the ITS link
on the [Course Home Page].
Test to make sure that your forwarded Algonquin email works! Send yourself a
test message. You must have a working Algonquin EMail address for this course
(that you can forward elsewhere).
Make sure you add `idallen@idallen.ca` and `alleni@algonquincollege.com` to
your email white-list, or you may not receive important email from me,
especially email with your marks in it. Whitelist me now!
Use your Algonquin College email address to contact me, otherwise your email
may be thrown away as unsolicited email spam.
Find the Answers
================
My job is to help you find answers, not to give you answers. Many answers I
might give you now will be obsolete by the time you graduate. Helping you
find the answers is my job; I do it for you as part of the salary paid to me
by the College. *Actually giving you answers is called “consulting”, and my
fee is $250/hr. See me after you graduate.*
Right the First Time
====================
![This is not a practice semester]
**Assignments are only marked once.** You don’t get a second chance. In the
real world, if you don’t get it right the first time, your business (or your
employer’s business) suffers. You try not to make the same mistakes again,
but you can’t take back the fact that you made them in the first place. Do
your best the first time.
My job (your boss’ job) is not to find and correct all your mistakes for you.
Finding and learning from your mistakes is your job. The better you do it,
the more useful you are as an employee.
Many assignments in this course will be **self-mark** assignments where you
get to compare your answers with a set of correct answers and discover your
own mistakes.
Plagiarism
==========
See the [Course Home Page] for information on copying and working together
on assignments.
You may not copy material from **anywhere else** without clearing the copying
with me and identifying the source, in writing or by email, first. If your
submission resembles that of another person, anywhere in the class or
anywhere on the Internet, I am required to inquire whether you are the actual
author. **Copying-and-pasting from someone else is not solving a problem.**
Do your own thinking and write your own answers. No copying-and-pasting.
**If** I authorize copying, and only if, you must attribute the **source** of
copied material that you use that isn’t yours. Most coursework does not
permit **copying**, **group work**, or **working together** on a common
answer. Do your own work unless the assignment permits group work.
You earn marks for the new material that you write, not material that comes
from other people and other sources (e.g. from me, your friends, or from the
Internet). **opying-and-pasting from an existing answer is not solving a
problem.** Do your own thinking and write your own answers. No
copying-and-pasting.
A fun tutorial on how to use the Internet to find answers and avoid
plagiarism is here:
See also: [More Students Misunderstand The Fundamentals Of Plagiarism]
A warning not to give your your answers, from a previous student:
> From: xxxxxxxx@algonquinlive.com
Subject: RE: CST8207 lab
> plagiarism
We were talking on facebook and he was having trouble with
> lab 7 and 8. I tried explaining them to him but was unsuccessful. I offered
> to put lab 8 on Dropbox as a reference, which I completely forgot about as
> it’s not something I normally do. When I confronted him he said he didn’t
> have time to complete the work himself and handed in my answers.
Both students received zero and were charged with academic fraud
(plagiarism).
Your Security and the USA Patriot Act
=====================================
From :
**Users are advised that some of the College Network’s resources are provided
by third parties, who may be located in the United States of America or other
jurisdictions. By using the College Network, users acknowledge and understand
that, any content or information posted or sent through the College Network
may be housed in the United States of America or other jurisdictions and
therefore subject to the USA Patriot Act and other applicable legislation and
that there may be requirements to disclose such content.**
In other words, anything you disclosed to the College - before, during, and
after registration - may be sent to the Government of the United States.
Install LibreOffice or OpenOffice into Windows
==============================================
When you have your Windows base system Installed (in your Desktop Operating
Systems course), go to URL on campus (NOT the open Internet,
because it would be too slow) and download LibreOffice (or OpenOffice) for
Windows and install it on your base Windows system, so that Windows can read
and print the Open Office lab documents used in this course. To find the
software on CSTECH, click any room in the left side-bar and look under
Drivers and Downloads.
What is Linux and why do I care?
================================
- How Linux is Built:
- Log in to [lynda.com] and see “Chapter 1. Getting Started” in “Up and
Running with Linux for PHP Developers”. Go under the “preferences” tab
and turn on “Closed captioning” to see the words as well as hear them.
You should be able to answer:
- what is Free (as in “free speech”) Software
- what is Linux
- what is Virtualization
- Log in to [lynda.com] and see “Chapter 1. Introduction to Unix - What
is Unix” in “Unix for Mac OS X Users”. Go under the “preferences” tab and
turn on “Closed captioning” to see the words as well as hear them. You
should be able to answer:
- where did Unix (from which Linux came) originate?
- what do Unix systems have in common?
Can’t I just learn Unix online?
===============================
Sure! You will find a video course by first logging in to [lynda.com], then
see [Unix for Mac OS X Users]
- This is an entire online Unix course, usable from school or from home
(with your Algonquin student library card information)!
- Doesn’t cover Linux installation or booting
- Also covers Macintosh-only Unix tools (last chapter)
More online courses (no video, though)
======================================
-
-
-
- (Includes a 522-page
free book!)
-
-
Learning the trade
==================
- What are you doing with your spare time? Playing with computer science or
playing card and video games? Which will give you better answers at your
next job interview?
- Is sysadmin the career path for you? Check these ten points: [10 signs
that you aren’t cut out for IT]
--
| Ian! D. Allen - 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/
[Plain Text] - plain text version of this page in [Pandoc Markdown]
format
[Timetable]: ../schedule.html
[Course Home Page]: #course-home-page
[Directive AA32]: http://www2.algonquincollege.com/directives/policy/use-of-electronic-devices-in-the-academic-environment/
[Test Instructions]: 000_test_instructions.html
[www.idallen.com]: http://idallen.com/
[Take Notes in Class]: data/remember.jpg "Take Notes in Class"
[This is not a practice semester]: http://assets.amuniversal.com/88b74750c10e012fdd6d001dd8b71c47
"This is not a practice semester"
[More Students Misunderstand The Fundamentals Of Plagiarism]: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/02/more-students-misundersta_n_666997.html
[lynda.com]: https://lyceum.algonquincollege.com/Lynda
[Unix for Mac OS X Users]: http://wwwlyndacom.rap.ocls.ca/Mac-OS-X-10-6-tutorials/Unix-for-Mac-OS-X-Users/78546-2.html
[10 signs that you aren’t cut out for IT]: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-signs-that-you-arent-cut-out-for-it/3072
[Plain Text]: 001_course_introduction.txt
[Pandoc Markdown]: http://johnmacfarlane.net/pandoc/