IT 138
UNIX FOR NETWORK TECHNICIANS
Course Syllabus
Instructor: DC Shoemaker
Office: Instruction Building 2-3-16A
E-mail: dshoemak@sccd.ctc.edu
Class web site: http://168.156.125.36
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. Prerequisite: IT 135 or instructor’s permission.
Required texts: Students are cautioned not to purchase books
until after the first class meeting.
A set of Class Notes is available on the class FTP site when
the class is offered; these notes are required. Students are also responsible for familiarity with the class
website and its contents.
Linux in a Nutshell, Ellen Siever, Stephen Spainhour,
Stephen Figgins & Jessica Hekman. Any edition will suffice.
Learning the BASH, 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:
There will be two examinations and an unspecified number of
quizzes and exercises to check progress. Note: students’ papers will be
required to be submitted in hand-written form, and will be graded in part based
on legibility, neatness, spelling and grammar. Get used to the idea; this is
what your job will require. See me for exception to policy.
Grades: 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.