Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | CIS-2150-VO01 - Introduction to Linux

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Tyler Whitney
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Deb Grant

General Education Requirements

VSCS Digital and Technical Literacy

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course covers the Linux operating system providing an introduction to the installation, configuration and troubleshooting of this popular operating system. Also covers the free software or open source software movement in general, where to find packages, how to install them, and how to get support.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the difference between open source and proprietary systems, discuss when open source software is appropriate, and explain how to acquire open source software and operating systems such as Linux.
2. Discuss options for installing and configuring Linux on a personal computer and in the cloud.
3. Describe the difference between a Command Line Interface (CLI) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both.
4. Explain the process of maintaining a secure computing environment via updates, firewall, system tuning, and file system permissions.
5. Demonstrate the use of one of the commonly available text editors on Unix-based systems, such as the "vi" editor.
6. Discuss the purpose of a "shell" program and demonstrate the use of common commands to manipulate files and system options.
7. Describe X-Windows, the graphical user environment commonly used on Unix-based systems, and discuss the purpose of and differences between common Window Manager packages such as KDE and GNOME.
8. Explain how to configure Linux using both graphical tools and text based configuration files.
9. Explain how to find and use resources such as HOWTO documents, man and info pages, websites, newsgroups, and listservs.
10. Discuss options available for obtaining and installing additional software packages such as word processors and web browsers on Linux systems.
11. Discuss methods to troubleshoot problems and optimize performance.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

• online forum discussions
• interactive labs
• multimedia presentations and resources
• readings, writing, and inquiry-based research

Evaluation Criteria

• Reading (activities): 15% (1% each, 15 total)
• Quizzes (reading checks): 28% (2% each, 14 total)
• Discussions: 30% (1% each week, 15 total)
• Labs (assignments): 35% (2.5% each, 14 total)
• Final Project: 7%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Students are expected to complete the assignments each week. Posts in the discussion forums should be created mid week to give a chance for fellow students to respond. At least one response to a fellow student is expected for full discussion credit.

Missing & Late Work Policy

The late policy for this course is a 10% penalty on assignments per day late, unless extenuating circumstances or contact ahead of time to negotiate an extension.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity