Introduction to the ERAU/Prescott programming environment

ERAU/Prescott Unix Programming Environment

Several computer programming courses taught in the Computer Science program here at ERAU Prescott require rudimentary Unix skills since some of our compilers are hosted only on computers running Unix. The purpose of these notes is to help get started working with the campus Unix environment. There are three levels of material available here on this set of local web pages:

The minimum. Boxed and highlighted material like this text represents my guess as to the minimum necessary to get started. If you're brand new to the Unix environment on this campus, read the access section first, then the Unix file system, followed by the basic Unix commands. After the boxed material in those three sections, other material and other sections can be read as you need them, if and when.

The basics. Learning a modicum of additional material beyond the bare minimum makes Unix more readily comprehensible and hence makes one's long term relationship with it more pleasant and productive. Unix is not black magic and mastering some basic concepts and tools will make you a lot more comfortable. Unboxed material on these pages may be perused as you need it or find it interesting. (I've attempted to make it interesting and even amusing at times; I certainly find it interesting; but then I thought a Ph.D. in computer science was a good idea too, so that tells you something about my warped sense of the fitness of things.)

The next step. I've prepared a separate web page containing some intermediate Unix tips that I personally find pretty useful. (These notions here of "basic" or "intermediate" are purely subjective.) I've also prepared a list of other online sources for Unix information if you can't find what you want here or don't care for my somewhat breezy style.

Typographical conventions used in these local pages:

Underline is used to indicate hypertext links (only useful if you're reading these notes online, obviously).
Courier New font is used for Unix commands or file_names that you have to type in.
Bold and Italics are used normally (i.e. --- for whatever I feel like).

Table of Contents:

Some definitions and other useful and fascinating technical discussions, digressions, and/or diversions

This page last changed 22 May 2003 by Dr. M.S. Jaffe