PHY 201/301 - Linux Help
The computers in 1240 BPS run the Linux operating system. Linux
is a form of the Unix operating system and it is
becoming extremely popular, mostly because it works
well and it is FREE. Unix is the most widely used operating
system on workstations, whereas MS Windows is the most
widely used system on PCs. However Linux also runs on
PCs and is eroding the monopoly of the windows system
on that platform.
Your account
You have been assigned an account under the linux
operating system of the computers in 1240 BPS. Your account name
and initial password will be given to you during the first class meeting.
This week you need to:
To start a ``terminal''
Right-click on the desktop (or click on the Red Hat in the
control panel at the bottom of the screen and select Terminal under the System Tools menu)
after logging in.
To change your password
At the terminal prompt type:
yppasswd
Then answer the prompts.
To run Mathematica
At the terminal prompt type:
Mathematica
This will launch a Mathematica window. Or better yet, type:
Mathematica &
which causes Mathematica to run ``in the background'', leaving the terminal
window free to accept further commands.
You are then ready to
read the
Mathematica introduction.
To save a Mathematica worksheet
Click ``save'' which is under ``file'' in the Mathematica
toolbar. It will save the
file to your home directory under the linux operating system
(give it a better name than ``untitled''!!). To
ensure that you have succeeded, return to your ``terminal''
window and type ``ls'' or ``ll'', which list the files in the directory.
To print a Mathematica worksheet
Click ``print'' under ``file''
in the mathematica toolbar. Then choose
``file''. This will save your file as a postscript file
(again give it a better name than ``untitled'').
Then return to the terminal window and type ``ls''
to check that it is there. Now type ``lpr filename.ps''
and your file will be printed on the printer in 1240 BPS.
To print a file
you can use the unix command
lpr filename
or you can open the file in gedit and use that editor's
print option.
Customize unix
You may find it convenient to append the lines
set history = 32
alias h 'history'
alias rm 'rm -i'
to the file .cshrc in your home directory. Then h displays the last 32
commands you entered, and rm asks for confirmation before deleting a file.
For further linux help
``man'' (for manual) is the unix help facility. You can
launch a window-based help system from the applications menu.
You will need to learn quite a bit
about the unix operating system and a nice
unix manual is available online.