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Customize the windows settings and behavior

Sound card settings and sounds for Window events

2.4.4 Desktop Tools

Most users focus less on the Operating System, and more on the programs that it will run.

The task list below includes many of the applications that would be desired by the average user.

Most of the listed applications are free, with the exception of the games. Many of these packages

are a standard part of Linux distributions.

• Office Software - these include spreadsheets, word processors, presentation software, drawing tools, database tools, 3D graphics tools

Star Office [14] KOffice [15]

• File and Internet Browsers

Netscape - allows browsing of the internet [16]

Files - there are many file viewers that ease directory browsing Eazel - allows active directory browsing [17]

• Administration and Utilities

Apache - the most popular web server program [18] Postgres and MySQL - Database programs [19] [20] Replace a microsoft networking server [21] DOS/Windows Simulator VMWare [22]

• Entertainment

Audio and video

Tools (GIMP - similar to photoshop) Games (Quake, Doom, SimCity)

2.5 LABORATORY - A LINUX SERVER

Purpose:

To set up a Linux server that can be used for controlling automation.

Overview:

At the core of every integrated manufacturing system is a server. A server is a computer, running a networked operating system that can connect to many other computers.

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The function of a server is to communicate information between different devices on the factory floor.

The most important part of a server is the operating system. Mature operating systems such as Unix and Linux are well established, while newcomers, such as Windows NT are trying to establish themselves.

Pre-Lab:

1.Go to the web site www.linux.org and read about Linux.

2.Go to the RedHat Linux site and read the installation instructions. (www.redhat.com)

In-Lab:

1.Locate a computer to use. Install Linux using the following instructions.

2.After the installation is done and the computer has been rebooted go through the following Linux tutorial.

3.If you need more practice with linux try another basic user tutorial (www.linux.org).

4.Update the main webpage on the machine, and create a web page for yourself also in your own public_html directory.

Submit (individually):

1.Have the machine up and running properly, including X-windows.

2.Have a running web server with a main web page, and for you.

2.6 TUTORIAL - INSTALLING LINUX

This section outlines the steps and choices that were used while installing Redhat 7.0. You can also refer to other installation guides (www.redhat.com) in the event of problems.

1.Open the computer to determine the following information.

-video card type and memory

-network card type

-mouse type

2.Insert the distribution floppy disk and CD and turn on the computer. The computer will start to boot automatically. After some time a graphical interface should appear and you will be asked questions.

3.The choices that I made follow in sequence. You should adapt these to the computer you have. The settings I expect you will need to change are marked with an asterisk ’*’.

Language selection - English Keyboard - Generic 101-key PC

-US English

-Enable dead keys

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*Mouse - Microsoft Intellimouse

Install Options - Custom System Partitioning - using disk druid

Delete all disk partitions

*Add a partition - mount ’/’, size 1500MB, partition type Linux Native *Add a partition - partition type Linux Swap, size remaining about 50MB

Formating - ’/dev/hda1 /’

Lilo Configuration - "Create Boot Disk" selected Install Lilo on ’/dev/hda MBR’

-did not use linear mode

-no kernel parameters

-left the rest as is

Network - configured with "DHCP", "activate on boot" Timezone - "Detroit"

Account Configuration

- entered a root password

*- added a user account for myself ’jackh’ Authentication Configuration - left all as is

Selecting Package Groups - the following list were the only ones chosen Printer Support

X Window System Gnome

KDE

Mail/WWW/News Tools DOS/Windows Connectivity Graphics Manipulation Games

Multimedia Support Networked Workstation Dialup Workstation Web Server

SQL Server

Network Management Workstation Authoring/Publishing Development

Kernel Development Utilities

X Configuration

*- Generic High Freq. SVGA 1024x768 @ 70Hz *- ATI Mach 64, 1MB memory

-don’t set ’use graphical login’

4.Installation will start and it takes about 30-60 minutes.

5.When done you will be prompted to put a formatted floppy disk in the drive and create a boot disk. This is good for emergencies and is highly encouraged. Don’t forget to label the disk.

6.When prompted reboot the system. Don’t forget to remove the floppy and CDROM.

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7.Once the system has rebooted, login as root. Start XWindows using ’startx’.

8.If you reach this point you have completed the installation successfully.

2.7 TUTORIAL - USING LINUX

1.Login with your username and password. Later you can logout with ’logout’ or ’exit’. (Note: you can also use ’shutdown -h now’ to stop the machine.)

2.After you have logged in you should see a flashing cursor. Type ’startx’ to start the X- windows GUI. This will take some time, but when done you will have a windowed interface.

3.First we want to open a command window. Point to the bottom of the screen and locate the icon that looks like a computer screen. Click on it once with the left mouse button. A command window will pop up on the screen. Click on the border of the window, the keyboard will then be focused on the window, and commands will work there.

4.Enter the commands below in order and observe the results. They should allow you to move around directories and see the files listed there. Some of the options will change how you see the files.

ls ls -l

ls -la ls -lar ls -lat ls -lart pwd

cd .. ; ls -la cd ~

5.Use the manuals to find other options for the ‘ls’ command with ‘man ls’.

6.Explore the hard drive to find what is there. The following directories are particularly important.

/etc - the machine configuration and boot files /opt - some packages will be installed here /bin and /usr/bin - executable files

/sbin and /usr/sbin - executable files for the root user and system /usr/doc - help files

/home - use directories are here

/mnt - mounted disk drives are attached here /proc - system status is kept here

/var/log - system log files are kept here /tmp - temporary files are stored here

7.Change to the directory ’/etc’, and look at the contents of the file ’fstab’ with the command ’more fstab’. This file contains a list of the disk drives in the computer. You can find more information about it with ’man fstab’.