Getting Started With Linux

The PCs in the CSIT computing labs run Linux, not Microsoft Windows or MacOS X. Once you've logged on it will look something like this:

How do I escape?

There's a menu in the top right corner of the screen which is equivalent to the MacOS Apple menu or Shutdown on Microsoft Windows.

Please log out rather than shutting down the computers. They already switch into energy saving if left alone.

How do I run programs?

The Applications menu in the top left corner of the screen. Unlike the Microsoft Windows Start menu it doesn't show all the programs on the PC, just the most common.

Q: I thought in Linux you had to type commands instead of pointing and clicking?
A: Yes there's a lot of that too. That's what the Terminal (in the Accessories submenu) is for.

Where are my files?

The Places menu just to the right of Applications, in the top left corner of the screen. The most useful is your Home Folder.

All your files are stored on a server, not the individual PCs, so it doesn't matter which one you use. It is not the InfoCommons server (pebble) so you won't see the same files as you would in the libraries or elsewhere on campus.

Working with your own computer

Linux is free (gratis) and nearly all the sofware programs used in the CSIT labs are the same. You can install your own Linux environment on your PC or Macintosh (without wiping what you already have!) if you want. The Computer Science Students Association runs an "InstallFest" once or twice a year for students and can probably help you.