CSC 151.01, Class 02: Getting Started with Linux

Overview

• Preliminaries [5-10 min]
  • Notes and news
  • Upcoming work
  • Extra credit
  • Questions
• Lessons from day one [20 min]
• Common parts of an algorithm [0 min]
• Lab: Getting started with Linux [25 min]

News / Etc.

• Mr. Stone will be handing out passwords. While he does so, you can chat with your partners on what you might have learned from the nut butter and preserves exercise yesterday.
• Signed academic honesty policy due! Give them to Maddie.
  • I’m using it as today’s attendance.
  • If you are uncomfortable signing it, make an appointment to chat with me.
• You should have received one handout at the start of class.
  • Lab: Getting Started with Linux

Upcoming Work

• Assignment 1. Due Tonight!
• Assignment 2 will be distributed tomorrow (I hope).

Extra credit (Academic)

• Rosenfield MLK day talk Wednesday evening at 7pm, JRC 101
• Thursday extras, Thursday, 4:15 p.m., Science 3821: Summer Research Opportunities in CS

Extra credit (Peer)

• Open practice for crazy improv group 2-4 Saturday “Ritalin Test Squad”. In “The Wall” in Bucksbaum.
• Swim meet next weekend (in the Osgood).

Good things to do

• Rest.

Questions

Lessons from day one

• Precision is good.
• Be thoughtful.
• “Know you audience”; the computer (or professor) may not know what yo think they do.
  • Be specific
  • Know what your audience already knows how to do: THe “ums” Basic operations
• It’s helpful to create a skeleton for a process that you might do multiple times.
  • E.g., removing a cap from a jar, whether it be an almond butter jar or a raspberry preserve jar.
  • We call these “subroutines” or “functions” or “procedures” or “methods”
• Order matters. (Make sure the modifiers are clear, and spoken first; make sure that the command is clearly designated.)
• Thinking through the process; making a model is good.
• Failure happens. Explore the failure and revise.
• It’s easier to develop an algorithm incrementally.
  • We work in a programming environment that makes that easier.
• Professors do not have a good self-preservation instinct; neither do computers.
• Working in a group is good; more people provide more ideas.
• As the reading suggests, repetition is helpful. (E.g., opening jars and untwisting twistie ties and ripping off small pieces of plastic until it’s all gone.)
  • Be careful to make sure that the repetition stops at some point.
• Things will go wrong. Enjoy it.
• Think about special cases.

Common parts of an algorithm

Skipped

Lab: Getting started with Linux

Each partner should do the lab with their account, if possible.

For groups with three students, send one of the students across the hall to 3814 to do the work.

Our system changes every semester, so some things may go wrong. I apologize in advance.

• It appears that Iceweasel is no longer a thing. Sorry. Use Firefox.
• When you type your password in the terminal, it won’t be visible.
• If you have scripting disallowed, the menus on our Web site might not work. (Boy, that’s bad design on SamR’s part.)
• The class Web site is http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/~rebelsky/Courses/CSC151/2017S/
• What happens if you forget your MathLAN password?
  • You go visit Mr. Stone, and he gives you a new one.

Today’s silly question: Why is it called a “terminal” window?