Tutorial 17 - An Introduction to UNIX

1. Go in to the eMac lab  (B1.08 next door to B1.11)
2. Log on to one of the eMacs, using your student-online username and password. Type your username in lowercase.
3. Open up a web browser such as Safari. Safari can be run by clicking on the icon of a compass in the task bar at the bottom of the screen.
4. Input the URL: http://redgum.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/register
5. Fill out the form, ensuring your username is in lowercase. Click the Submit button.
6. Log off the eMac. To log out click the apple icon in the menu at the top left hand corner of the screen, and select Log Out.
7. After about 10 minutes you should be able to log on to a workstation in the Linux lab using the details you provided

3. Log onto a Linux Workstation

Log onto a Linux workstation using your student on-line username and password to log on. Type your username in lowercase.

4. Open a Terminal Window

Open a terminal (console) window by

• selecting: Applications > System > Terminal > Gnome Terminal 
• OR right mouse clicking on the screen background and selecting: Open Terminal

5. Trying some commands

Experiment with some of the commands discussed in the lecture. In particular, try:

• pwd       Shows present working directory

          This is your home directory on Unix (redgum),
          so write it down ......................
• who       Shows ?...........
• ls        Shows your files
• ls -l     Displays your files in long format.

          you should see that you own the files
          what is the name of the group that you belong to? .............
• Also try the other switches for ls:

ls -a  and   ls -al
• Read up on the Unix help for the ls command:

man ls
Press the spacebar, Return, 'u' or 'd' keys to scroll up/down, and 'q' to quit
• df
• du
• ps
• You can look at a long listing page-by-page by 'piping' (vertical bar) the output through 'less':

ps -ef | less     press the space key to view the next page and q to quit
• man ps         to understand what you are doing above. Does it help?

press 'q' to quit

6. Navigating the directory structure

• cd ..     changes to the parent directory?
• pwd       to confirm the change
• ls -d t*  to see all the student home directories that start with a t
• cd ..

pwd
• ls -l     just to see what is there
• Let's view another student's files:

cd /Users
ls -d a*  these are the student's home directories that start with the letter a.
cd .......  select one of the student's account name listed in the previous command
• ls        you may be able to look at certain files and directories
  pwd       to see where you are
• Let's look at another directory. You can go there directly using an absolute directory reference:

cd /Users/tjwhitfort
ls       

7. Back to the files within your own account

• cd            all on its own should take you back to your home directory.

pwd           just to make sure
• Use the nedit text editor to create a new file:

nedit junk.txt
Enter the following really good? stuff :

We are Geelong The greatest team of all We are Geelong We're always on the ball

• Save the file and exit nedit

ls                        to view your files
less junk.txt             view the contents of your new file
mv junk.txt geelong.txt   rename the file to give it a better name
ls -al                    just to check the rename worked
rm geelong.txt            remove (delete) the file. You do not have to do this!
• cd public_html   this is your personal www home directory

ls -l            to see what you have there
• if you have either of the files welcome.html or index.html you can load it in your web browser with the URL:
  http://redgum.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/~yourAccountName
• If you do not have index.html; ensure you are in your public_html directory then, copy the a basic web page with the following command:

cp /Users/tjwhitfort/Public/example_index.html index.html
• Now check it out with your web browser.

Have a good look around the directory on your Unix account.

8. Web Browser

A number of web browsers are available. The most popular is Firefox. Konqueror is also available. Internet Explorer is not available on UNIX.

Firefox

Before you can fully use Firefox it needs to be setup.

(a) Set up the proxy. This is necessary to access web sites outside of the University

• To run firefox type the command: firefox
• Select Edit >Preferences
• Ensure that the General page tab is selected
• Click on the Connection Setting... button
• Click on Automatic proxy configuration URL radio button
• In the Automatic proxy configuration URL text box type: http://proxy.latrobe.edu.au/proxy.pac
• Click the Ok button to save the changes

(b) Set a home page

• In the Web address/URL text box near the top of the firefox window, type: http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au
• Press the Enter key to display the CS&CE Department web page
• Select Edit >Preferences
• Ensure that the General page tab is selected
• In the HomePage section click the Use Current Page button to set the CS&CE Department page as your home page (this will be displayed when you get into Firefox or press the Home key)
• You may want to change the number of days that History expires to 1 or 2 days. This can changed using the Privacy tab
• Click the Ok button to save the changes

You can now use Firefox. You should not have to change the above settings again unless you want to change your home page.

Try accessing a few sites at La Trobe and elsewhere to check that it works correctly. Check that the home key returns you to the CS&CE Department web page.

Firefox is also available on the menu bar (orange and blue sphere) and via menus: Applications > Internet > Web Browser > Firefox.

9. Changing your password

Changing your Student on-line password does not alter your Linux password.

Do not change your password unless you feel you need to. Carefully read the information below.

If you need to change your password, carefully read the following. Because of the number of different computer systems used at University it is suggested that you use the same password on all systems (e.g. leave it as your student on-line password).

You must see the Unix Administrator (Howard Cock) to change your password.

Changing your Linux password does not alter your Student Online password.

10. Further Investigation

You may wish to try some other commands from the lecture of the Unix Command Summary.

11. Logging out

When you have had a look around logout. To logout:

• Select  Desktop > Log Out
• Click Ok to confirm that you want to log out