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Unix, Linux, and You

CS155 Overview

What is Unix?

• Unix is a multi-user operating system.
• Unix was developed at Bell Labs in 1969.
• Linux is a free and open-source version of Unix.
• Today, many incarnations of Linux exist. They are often known as distros which is short for distributions.
• Most CS Department machines run Linux, but some machine run Microsoft Windows or Solaris.

What is Linux?

• X / Terminal - graphical user interface
• Shell - command line interface to run programs and display results
• Programs - provide thousands of features
• Kernel - the low level operating system
• Resources - file system, network, printers, ...

Logging In

% date
Sat Apr 20 06:18:50 MDT 2024
% pwd
/s/parsons/c/fac/davematt
% exit

• What happens once I’m in?
  • A shell window is opened
    • If you don’t get a shell, then press Alt-F2, type “gnome-terminal” and press Enter.
      • Alt like Shift; hold it down while you type F2.
      • F2 is a single key, way up at the top of the keyboard, even higher than the “3” key.
  • A prompt is presented
• Type commands (such as “date” or “pwd”) at the prompt.
• To get out of the shell, type “exit”, and press Enter.

Special Characters