Course Syllabus

IT 138 UNIX FOR NETWORK TECHNICIANS

Instructor DC Shoemaker
Office: Instruction Building 2-3-16A Phone: (206) 527-5663
E-mail: dshoemak@sccd.ctc.edu

What this course is: An intermediate level course aimed at acclimating network technology or webmaster students to the Unix environment sufficiently to understand what a real-world Unix system is doing, and how to operate it. This course will use Linux as a vehicle to address Unix system considerations, and is presented from the perspective of the network administrator/ webmaster. Some overlap with other Unix classes may be expected.

What this course is not: This course will not teach any form of programming, nor will it make you a Unix expert. Expertise in Unix will require more than one academic quarter.

Topics covered: The organization of Unix-based hardware components, the UNIX operating system software, and tools the Unix host administrator uses to control access, tune the system, and account for system resources used. Advanced concepts will include multi-user, multi-tasking, time-sharing networked communications. Unix tools, network schedulers, security, remote access, web servers and performance monitoring will be covered. Operational considerations (host initialization, suspension and termination, the physical environment of the system), networking aspects of Unix and the Internet (the Internet environment, threats to corporate data) will be examined. Prerequisites consist of any one of the following: EET 130, EET 131, IT 100, NET/IT 120, NET/IT 190, IT 100, IT 135, IT 135, CIS 136 or IT/CIS 228, or instructor’s permission.

Required texts:

Students are cautioned not to purchase books until the first class meeting.

A set of Class Notes is available on the class FTP site, and is required. Students are responsible for familiarity with the class website and its contents.

Linux in a Nutshell, 4th Edition, Ellen Siever, Stephen Spainhour, Stephen Figgins & Jessica Hekman. Earlier editions will suffice.

Learning the BASH, 3d Edition, Newham & Rosenblatt, O’Reilly & Associates. Any edition will suffice. This book provides useful back-ground to the most common Linux shell. Students are cautioned not to purchase this book until after discussing it with the instructor.

Linux for Programmers and Users, Graham Glass and King Ables, Pearson-Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-18748-7. About $70.00. A very good overview for all Linux classes. Again, students are cautioned not to purchase this book until after discussing it with the instructor.

A basic (and free!) Slackware text is available on-line at http://www.slackware.org/book/.

These texts will be used as an adjunct to the topics discussed in class. These topics will include the following:

Organization of UNIX-based hardware and software components (the processor, the kernel, the disk system and communications hardware.)

Organization of the UNIX operating system components (the various shells and why a system administrator would select one versus another.)

Basic UNIX administrative commands (tools to control access, tune the system, account for resources used and for multi-user, multi-tasking daemons, spoolers and time-sharing networking.).

Accounts, access and permissions for data sharing (establishing, controlling, managing and suspending user accounts.)

UNIX communications (TCP/IP, telnet, smtp, sendmail, mailx, Pine and Elm accounts.)

Operational and administrative considerations (host initialization, suspension and termination, the physical environment of the system, security, remote access, and performance monitoring.)

Networking aspects of UNIX and the Internet (web servers, the Internet environment, threats to corporate data.)

There will be two examinations and an unspecified number of quizzes and exercises to check progress.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

60-70% 2.0-2.5

71-80% 2.5-3.0

81-90% 3.0-3.5

91%-100% 3.5-4.0

Comportment:

You are responsible for attendance. Punctuality is mandatory. Missed lecture and lab material may be obtained from your class members. Absences may be excused by the instructor under appropriate circumstances. This class will discuss techniques that can, like any knowledge, be used for ill as well as for good. Students are reminded that they are responsible for their behavior; use of this information for illegal purposes is not acceptable, and will not be condoned, on-campus or off. As this class is conducted partly in a lab environment, safety and appropriate behavior will be stressed. Any behavior deemed by the instructor to be disruptive to the class may be cause for dismissal under the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct.

Open Labs:

There are two open computer labs available to students who have paid either the UT or CT fees. The labs are located in IB 3303 (PCs and Macs) and in HT 1845B (PCs). These labs have the widest variety of software on the campus and are open for walk-ins. Hours vary each quarter; check the campus website or in the lab for specific lab hours.

Internet Use:

It is the NSCC policy not to restrict student Internet access. It may be deemed disruptive behavior to view Internet material offensive to those around them. Use of the Internet which is deemed by the instructor to be disruptive behavior during lecture or labs, may lead to dismissal under the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct.

I hope you enjoy this class. You should not find it overwhelming but you may become frustrated from time to time. Please feel free to ask questions. It’s what I live for.

Possunt quia posse videntur