MSc Java Workshop

Introduction to Unix and Linux in SoCS

Welcome to the School of Computer Science of the University of Birmingham. This course will introduce you to the computer systems you will be using throughout the year. Our school possesses a variety of computing equipment, including:

  • PCs running the Linux operating system (in UG-04 and LG-34)
  • PCs running Windows 2000 (in LG-04)

All of the computers in the school are networked and have access to a variety of other resources, including printers, e-mail and the Internet.

The following pages are designed to provide you with a brief introduction to the computing facilities which will be available to you during your course of study. It is expected that you will work through the material during your first lab sessions, but because of the wide range of computing experience among students coming to this course, you will probably all progress at different rates. If you are new to the UNIX operating system, you will need to go through the material in section 1 quite slowly and carefully, and possibly refer back to it in the coming weeks. However, even if you are an old hand, you should still read through the material, as it contains some information relating particularly to the school's computing network.