All computer lab work will happen on a dedicated Linux remote machine. On this page you can acquire knowledge to start with a basic workflow. No prior experience with Linux is assumed. In case that you have already work on a Linux terminal and you feel very much inclined to skip the videos, at least take the quizzes that are provided directly after each video in order to ensure that you do not miss anything.

Logging into a remote server

A computer terminal is a facility to display and enter information into a computer. On a Linux server such a terminal is usually based on a terminal promt. On the Chalmers student computers you can start the program gnome-terminal to work on a similar terminal. You will find a text promt, i.e., the possibility to enter text. This text is interpreted as commands to the terminal. To submit a (series of) command(s) that you have typed, press enter.

For example, the following command gives you an impression of how you can interact with the terminal:

echo "TMA881"

When you open gnome-terminal, type this command, and then hit enter, you will see the string TMA881 appear on the terminal. The command echo prints a string to the terminal.

We will only employ the Chalmers student computers to display a terminal session on a remote computer. The first step thus is to connect the student computer to that machine, named gantenbein. The first video explains the required steps. Watch it, taking notes if that is helpful to you, answers the questions following the video, and then try to imitate the step in order to log into gantenbein. You will need a user account with initial password for this: Confer the course website for this.

Self-assessment quiz: Logging into a remote server

Orienting yourself in the filesystem

The work that you will perform during the course is almost exclusively file base. In particular, you need a basic understanding of working directories and how to navigate in the file hierarchy. The next video gives a practical introduction to the most basic commands. Directly after watching the video and before taking the quiz, write down for yourself the commands appearing in the presentation.

Self-assessment quiz: Orienting yourself in the filesystem

File operations

Now that we know how to navigate in the filesystem, the next step is to manipulate it. In other words, we need to understand how to perform the most important file operations. As after watching the previous video, summarize the presented commands directly after following the recording.

Self-assessment quiz:File operations

The text editor

Now that we know how to copy, rename, and remove files, we need to learn how to edit text files. There is two mainstream text editors for the Linux terminal, and the easier one of them is Emacs. There is very little that you absolutely need to know of Emacs compared to the full functionality that Emacs offers. The next video showcases the steps required to open, save, and close a file.

Self-assessment quiz: The text editor

The terminal multiplexer

Working on a remote system as is brings with itself one restriction that in the age of portable computers few are used to anymore: We cannot continue a session, but have to shut it down when logging out, and then restart on login. The terminal multiplexer provides a remedy. It allows us to keep live a terminal session while we are not logged into the remote system. The next video demonstrates its basic usage.

Self-assessment quiz: The terminal multiplexer

A workflow in the terminal multiplexer

To perform efficient programming work, a standard setup that accommodates the most routine steps goes a long way. The terminal multiplexer offers a range of possibilities that extends far beyond the mere reattaching of sessions. The next video illustrates one workflow that I suggest to employ if you have not yet worked in a terminal.

Self-assessment quiz: A workflow in the terminal multiplexer