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This page is OBSOLETE and stored for historical reasons.

Maybe you are looking for up to date version of Pre-exam for Linux Basics.


Pre-exam for Linux Basics - Spring 2008

Didn’t get a place on last Linux Basics? Course was full? Now it’s your chance!

Because many students want to participate but there is a limited number of places, a fair way of giving out places is needed. That’s why there will be pre-exam for Linux Basics in the spring 2008. Order in Winha does not matter, places are given in the order determined by the pre-exam.

The pre-exam is on the first class, week 3 Tuesday, 2008-01-15 at 08:15 in computer lab h5013.

Just read this page and come to the first class. You don’t need to install Linux or try the software beforehand. You don’t need to read all the linked pages marked as sources. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything below perfectly, I’ll explain it all in the course.

Reading Material for the Pre-Exam

Getting Linux for Free

You can download most Linux distributions for free from their homepages. For example, you can get Ubuntu from ubuntu.com/download. Just choose the default image (desktop, latest version, x86/32 bit, download from Finland).

Ubuntu Desktop installation CD is also a Live-CD. Live CD means that you can boot from the CD to try Linux Desktop without installing. When you are done, simply reboot the computer and remove the CD to get back to your old system.

Some Desktop Software

All of these programs are included in the default installation of many Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu.

(Sources: Ubuntu Desktop Edition)

Filesystem

(Source: Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, local mirror)

Command line

pwd - print working directory

ls - list files (in working directory)

cd .. - go up one level, making working directory (pwd) shorter. Note space between command “cd” and directory “..”

cd somefolder/ - go to “somefolder” (that must be shown when you type ls)

nano foo.txt - edit “foo.txt”, press ctrl-X to save and exit

(Source: Karvinen 2007: Command Line)

Licensing

Software is considered Free (as in Freedom), if it gives users all these four rights:

  1. Run
  2. Study
  3. Modify
  4. Distribute

(Source: Free Software Foundation: Free software definition, local mirror).

GPL is the most popular Free license. Because it’s a free license, it allows users to use, study, modify and distribute. GPL has one important restriction: You can’t limit the rights of the users receiving the software. To use GPL for a program or text, you can add this boilerplate text: “Copyright 2007 YOUR NAME. GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.

(Adapted from: Free Software Foundation: How to use the GNU licenses for your own software)

Last modified: 2008-08-19. Permanent url: http://www.iki.fi/karvinen/pre-exam_for_linux_basics_2008_spring.html

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