Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 21:27:31 GMT
Server: NCSA/1.4.1
Content-type: text/html
Last-modified: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 19:00:09 GMT
Content-length: 5581
Computer System Introduction
Department of Computer Science
Computer System Introduction
University of Idaho
Computer Science Home Page
Univ. of Idaho Home Page
Last updated: July 6, 1995
Welcome to the University of Idaho Computer Science (CS) Department. As a student in the CS
department, you will be given an account so that you can have access to the
computer network in the department. Before activating your account, you
need to familiarize yourself with the department's
Computer Use Policy as well as this document.
Computers are located in Jansen Engineering
Building (JEB) rooms 13, B-25,
and B-27. The following guidelines and procedures will provide you with the
information needed to use the network effectively.
- A quick look at logging on. When you first sit down at one of the
computers in the CS labs, move the mouse to bring up the login screen.
You will see the University of Idaho Computer Science logo and login and
password prompts. Take the mouse and click on the clear button before
logging in. This will clear out any null characters in the login field.
If you login and get the message "Login incorrect: Please try again", be
sure to click on the clear button before attempting to login again.
- Disk Usage. There are no disk quotas for accounts. Instead, each user
can use up to a maximum of 25MB. Most users should need much less than
this to do classwork, homework, etc. Each user is expected to monitor
their disk usage and keep it under control. To check disk usage, "cd" to
your home directory and execute the command, "du -s". The number given is
in 512-byte blocks so divide by 2 to get kilobytes. If du = 5000, divide
by 2 to get 2500 kilobytes or about 2.5MBs. Disk usage is monitored, so
if a user can't control their disk usage it will be controlled for them.
- Man command. Every new user will have questions about how commands work.
One of the best commands to learn about is the "man" command, short for
manual. To learn about the "ls" command, type "man ls". As a matter of
fact, do a man on man "man man" to learn how the "man" command works.
Additional sources of information about UNIX, C, and other subjects can be
obtained from the Computer Services Help Desk located in the basement of
the Administration building, room 22. These folks have put together some
very good pamphlets covering a number of computer-related subjects. This
is also where you go to get an account for the campus-wide computer network.
Also remember that if you have a question and all else fails, you can send
questions to help@cs.uidaho.edu or bobc@cs.uidaho.edu.
- Netscape. Netscape is available on the CS computer network.
Netscape is an interactive hypertext interface to the World-Wide-Web (WWW)
on the
Internet. To run netscape type "netscape &". The Department of Computer
Science
home page comes up. If you click on any blue, underlined text or icon,
you will have used a hypertext link to another document.
Click on item 4 "Students in CS department" to see
who has a Web home page. The best way to learn about netscape is to
browse around and look at different students' home pages. On any page,
you can click on "View" (located in the menu bar at the top
of the window) and then click on "Source..." to see how some
users have built their home page. Also note that there is an item on the
CS home page that refers to a UNIX tutorial.
- Default files for .profile, .mwmrc, elmrc, .xsession and .Xresources are in
/usr/local/defaults. You can copy these files to your home directory and
modify them as you wish. Do a "man" on profile, mwm, elm, xdm to learn
more about these default initialization files.
- To change your passwd use the command "passwd". Try and use a password
that is a random string of letters, numbers, and special characters that
would be difficult for a password cracker to break. Any password that
is composed only of words that can be found in a dictionary or list of words,
is a password that can be broken. Remember, you are
responsible for your account and keeping it safe from intrusion.
It is important to remember that you are not the only person using the CS
computer network. Please be conscious of your actions and how they might
affect others. Do not turn the machine off, it is not a PC. Don't use
pictures for background screens that might offend someone else. Please keep
the labs clean, and be aware that no eating or drinking is allowed in the labs.
If you ever have a question, please feel free to stop by and visit with the
System Administrator (that's me) in room B-29 in the basement of JEB.
Have fun!
Bob Christofferson, bobc@cs.uidaho.edu
Computer Systems Mgr.
Computer Science Department
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83843
208-885-6238