You'll need your CS user id and password to get started. If you didn't get yours yet, see the TAs or the instructor. If you had a CS account in a previous semester and don't remember your password, please go to SH 138 and see Mike Kmetz or go to SH 137 and see Ivan Strnad. You'll also need to see them if you forget your password during the semester.
1. Log in
At a PC in the lab:
If the screen is blank, press ENTER. A prompt
should appear.
Type your username and password.
It may say "Terminal type? [vt100]". If it does, press ENTER.
2. The GUI (Graphical User Interface)
The GUI should start automatically.
If the GUI did not start, you will see the text prompt (something like
dell17[1]%). To start the Graphical
User Interface (GUI) type:
The GUI will start, (takes a couple of minutes) then the desktop will open.
If you're prompted to check for new hardware, to register Linux, or view tips, you can just close those windows.
Roll your mouse over the icons near the bottom left corner of the screen. Click on the icon in the bottom left corner to open the menu.
To open a terminal select "Applications", then
"System", then "Terminal",
then "XTerm".
The window which will appear is called the
terminal window or sometimes the x-term window.
It's sort of like the DOS prompt. It displays a
prompt showing the name of the computer you are using. Computers in SH
118B all have names that start with "dell". Other computers
in the CS department have been given some very unusual names!
The prompt is a sequence of characters that lets you know that Linux is ready for you to type a command. The prompt contains the name of the computer you're using, brackets around the number of the command you're on, and a percent sign. For example, I was working on a computer named "dell17". My prompt looked like
dell17[3]%
3. Change your password
If you have a new account, you will probably want to change your password to something easier to remember. You can skip this step if you do not want to change your password.
Type passwd and press ENTER.
At the "Old Password:" prompt, type your current (old) password.
Now, you have to think of a new password.
At "New password:", type the password you want.
At "Re-enter new password:", type the password you want again.
If you type your old password wrong or if you don't type the same new password twice, you'll have to start over again. Choose a non-obvious password and make sure you remember it.
Once you have successfully entered the new password, you will see the message "password changed".
4. Look at Linux windows and experiment
The environment that you are seeing is similar to Microsoft Windows, but you will see some differences. Move the mouse pointer around. Watch what happens as you move the pointer over various items on the screen. Locate the minimize button at the top, right corner of the terminal window. Click to minimize the window.
5. Start Firefox: The Interactive Web Browser
Click on the Firefox icon to open a web browser window. If you don't see the Firefox icon you may start it by typing firefox& and pressing ENTER in your terminal window.
6. Go to the Course Web Site on Canvas
Enter the following address and log in to Canvas https://learn.nmsu.edu/
Take a look at the available links.
7. Starting Eclipse
Start Eclipse by typing eclipse&
and pressing ENTER in a terminal window.
8. Logging Off
Exit from the GUI. Right
click in a blank area on the screen, then choose
Leave, then Logout.
If the text prompt appears, type exit and press ENTER.
Watch out! Always log off your computer in SH 118 or 118B before
you leave the room. When you are completely logged off, the screen
should show a login prompt.