CSC 105 – Introduction to Linux
Instructor: Adam Hartley
Email: hartlead@mountunion.edu
Office: KHIC 041
Office Hours: 4:15–5:15 MWF; 8:00–9:00 TR; by appointment; or whenever my door is open!
Textbooks:
Course Motivation and Description
“Linux is only free if your time has no value.” –Jamie Zawinski
Linux is a tremendously important operating system, both historically and in the present day. It drives servers, supercomputers, chromebooks, android smart devices, routers, embdedded devices, even desktops (if you’re so bold). It inherits from the UNIX tradition that also spawned C, C++, Java, vim, make, R, awk, and many more influential technologies. This course is meant to serve as an introduction to the Linux operating system, with a focus on the command line and command line tools. You should expect to learn:
How to operate and “live” on the Linux command line
How to navigate the file system and files
How to use command line tools to create and manipulate files and directories
How to confidently and effectively manage Linux file I/O
Shell scripting with Linux programs and tools
Assignments and Grading
| Assignment Type | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Entry tickets (reading quizzes) | 20% |
| Exit Tickets | 20% |
| Exams | 40% |
| Homework | 10% |
| Final Presentation | 10% |
Grade Scale
| Grade Range | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 100%-94% | A |
| 93.9%-90% | A- |
| 89.9%-87% | B+ |
| 86.9%-84% | B |
| 83.9%-80% | B- |
| 79.9%-77% | C+ |
| 76.9%-74% | C |
| 73.9%-70% | C- |
| 69.9%-67% | D+ |
| 66.9%-64% | D |
| 63.9%-60% | D- |
| <60% | F |
In general, no extra credit work will be assigned.
Collaboration Policy
The field of science is almost entirely collaborative. If students wish to collaborate on solving exercises or activities outside of class, this is allowed and encouraged under the condition that you explicitly note with whom you collaborated. Each student must turn in their own copy of the work, each copy listing the collaborators. Please limit group work to two or three students. Each student is individually responsible for the course information. Collaboration is not allowed during exams.
Grading Policy
Each 24 hours an assignment is past due, it is worth 10% fewer points. After 72 hours, the assignment is worth zero points.
Entry and exit tickets are not accepted after the conclusion of class.
The exams and final project will generally not be accepted late. In the case of an emergency or extended complications that would prevent exam attendance or inability to participate in the class, contact the instructor as early as possible so that other arrangements may be made. While the make-up exam may be similar, it could possibly be of greater difficulty than the regular work.
A total of 10 unexcused absences are allowed during the semester (counted by exit tickets). Any subsequent absences will result in 10 grade points being deducted from your final grade. Absences will only be excused when accompanied with documentation (medical, athletic, etc.), when in doubt, please reach out to your instructor.
The instructor reserves the right to round up final grades up to half a grade point at the end of the semester, dependent on class participation.
Communication Policy
I will strive to be available and accessible to every student in each of my classes. To facilitate better understanding of when and how I will be available, I will lay out a few expectations. In general, I will not check or respond to emails before 8:00 A.M. or after 5:00 P.M. on weekdays. Otherwise, I will try to reply to any emails or Teams messages within 24 hours. Please don’t hesitate to send a follow-up message if I haven’t responded to you during this window; there’s always a chance your email was missed, however unlikely. In general, there will be no message regarding the class that is so important that it can’t wait until the morning. We’ll work it out.
Technology Requirements
College coursework requires students to be responsible with reading and assignments, checking email and D2L frequently, and staying in regular communication with instructors. Technology access will be important for success. To participate in learning activities and complete assignments, you will need:
Access to a working computer that has a current operating system with updates installed
Reliable Internet access and a Mount Union email account
A current Internet browser that is compatible with D2L
Please contact the IT Help Desk at 330.829.8726 or helpdesk@mountunion.edu if you need assistance with obtaining or using a device, any necessary software, or internet access at any time during this semester.
Please bring your laptop to class, we will make extensive use of in-class time for lab work.
AI Policy
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving field and there are now multiple programs (e.g., ChatGPT and Bard) that can interact with users via “natural” conversations and rapidly generate output including art, essays, and computer code. Programs such as these will continue to evolve and be utilized in professional settings, and you can and should become familiar with them in the course of your undergraduate studies. At the same time, in-demand employees are those who have skills (to not use an AI when doing so would expose proprietary information to the creator of the AI, to debug AI-generated code when it doesn’t get it quite right, to modify output from AI for subtly different use cases, to perform tasks independent of AI when appropriate…) and the clarity of thought and ability to communicate effectively and effortlessly. Your college education is a time to develop these abilities and using AI as a crutch can hinder that process. So, in this course, you should not use AI in any of your work. Doing so without the express permission of the instructor will be considered a breach of academic honesty. Any submitted work may be subject to an oral examination.
Accessibility
The University of Mount Union values disability as an important aspect of diversity and is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is the campus office that collaborates with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations based upon appropriate documentation, nature of the request, and feasibility. If you have, or think you have, a temporary or permanent disability and/or medical diagnosis in any area such as, physical or mental health, attention, learning, chronic health, or sensory, please contact SAS. The SAS office will confidentially discuss your needs, review your documentation, and determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Accommodations are not retroactive, and the instructor is under no obligation to provide accommodations if a student does not request accommodation or provide documentation. Students should contact SAS to request accommodations and should discuss their accommodations with their instructor as early as possible in the semester. You may contact the SAS office by phone at (330) 823-7372; or via e-mail at studentaccessibility@mountunion.edu.
Additional University Policies
See https://www.mountunion.edu/syllabus for policies and information that are universally applicable to all courses at the University of Mount Union.