CIS 191AB, UNIX/Linux System Administration

Course Policy

This is a 16-week course that focuses on the role of the system administrator or UNIX/Linux operating systems. The first 8 weeks covers installation and configuration issues, with the primary outcome being to install and configure a Linux Distribution on an Intel-based personal computer. A secondary outcome is to design and build your own personal Linux Distribution.

The second 8-weeks will cover the System Administration tasks required to maintain, monitor, and troubleshoot a running Linux system. The primary outcome is to perform the tasks required of a Linux System Administrator in a small-to-medium sized company. A secondary goal is to pass an industry certification exam on Linux System Administration, such as offered by Red Hat, Novell (SUSE), SAIR Linux, Linux Professional Institute, or CompTIA Linux+.

This semester I am offering the course in a classroom/online hybrid format. That is, I will be leading discussion/lectures in class on Tuesday evening for 2 hours. There will also be a 2-hour recorded lecture per week which can be viewed at any time by the student using CCC Confer, an online conferencing tool, that will allow you to listen to the archived lecture from a Java enabled browser. The lab work that is assigned for the course may either be done in the new CIS Lab in room 1404 (CTC) or remotely using your personal accounts on opus.cabrillo.edu and sybil.cabrillo.edu. I will not be using the Blackboard technology that is commonly used by other distance education courses taught at Cabrillo, but I will be active with the CIS Bulletin Board and its discussion boards.

You will learn a lot in this course about installing and administering a Linux system as well as common industry based tools used to work in virtual environments. To aid you in studying for this course, this web site will contain links to many resources including the CIS online Bulletin Board, recorded HOWTOs, PowerPoint slides, lecture archives, and lab assignments. The objectives and assignments for each lesson may be viewed from the calendar webpage.

Through the lectures, you will be introduced to concepts and topics related to UNIX; it will be in your performing the labs and exercises that you actually learn these concepts. This class requires 4 TBA (to-be-arranged) hours to be completed each week in the CIS Lab (1404), or using the online resources. for purposes of completing the assigned labs. Please keep track of the hours spent on these labs both as verification of your attendance, and as a guideline for me in lab design.

Most of the course materials (including this syllabus) are located on my website. You are responsible for reviewing these documents as necessary throughout the semester.

Textbook Information

Required Textbook:

UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook, 4th Edition by Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder, Trent Hein, and Ben Whaley
This book by Prentice Hall includes the major distributions of Linux and UNIX in use today.
ISBN: 978-0-13-148005-6

Note: If you have last year's text, Linux Administration Handbook by the same authors, you can use that as well.  

Grading Policy

The new Accreditation Standards state that "Success" is determined by students emerging from courses with integrated, higher learning skills that they can demonstrate to others. Those demonstrations are the proof that they have truly learned.

Another keystone of the Student Learner Outcome theory is the belief that students perform better when they know exactly what is expected of them, including what they will be required to do and how it will be evaluated. What defines an A, B or C paper or project should be public knowledge. This concept of transparency is key to using SLO’s successfully in the classroom.

The final key concept is practice. Before being evaluated on an SLO, students should have the opportunity to practice the skill or tasks that compose it.

• Participation 10%
• Midterm 20%
• Labs 50%
• Final Exam 20%

Participation

Participation will apply to use of the CIS Forum for discussions, clarifications, and general problem solving. Specifically it will relate to the number and quality of your posts.

Midterm

The Midterm will include assessments of the following two skills:

1. the ability to install a UNIX/Linux System as a workstation or server to meet the needs of a small to medium company.
2. Diagnose the symptoms of a computer that won't boot, and devise a temporary workaround as well as a permanent solution to the problem.

Labs

Six labs will be done on time arranged by the student using the remote vCenter service, (sybil.cabrillo.edu). Labs will usually be turned in to the student's Opus account for grading.

Final Exam

The final exam will assess the following two skills:

1. Perform a complete system backup and restore the system with that backup.
2. Maintain operating system currency and system performance by recompiling and installing a new kernel, monitoring disk usage, and managing processes and resources.

The Pass / No Pass Option
By default you will get a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) for this class. However, you may choose to take the class for Pass / No Pass instead. If you take this class with the Pass / No Pass option, to receive a Pass you must complete this class with an average of 70% or more A No Pass grade is not factored into determining a student's GPA.

Missing Classes
From page 28 of the Cabrillo Catalog:

Absence from class in excess of two weeks will constitute reason for an instructor to withdraw a student from a full-term course. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw from classes.

Make a commitment to yourself to attend every class. The worst thing about missing a class is falling behind because you missed a week's worth of material. Missing class is not an acceptable excuse for missing any lecture material or assignments given during that time. Any work missed, must be made up on your time and within one week from the day that you missed. If you know you will be missing more than one class, I suggest you take the course for Credit/NoCredit. If you miss more than two classes, I will drop you from the course enrollment unless prior arrangements have been made and agreed to.

Help

We all have different study habits. Let me know if there is something I can do regarding the organization of this course that would help you learn the material better.
Please don't hesitate to see me if you need some help, have some questions, or just want to talk. You can speak with me after class or during my office hours. If you can't come during my scheduled hours I am happy to try to arrange another time for us to meet. You can call me at any time, my number is 477-3539. If I am not in, please leave a message letting me know what are the best times to call you back.

I encourage students with disabilities, including "invisible" disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning, and psychological disabilities, to explain their needs and appropriate accommodations to me during my office hours. Please bring a verification of your disability from the Learning Skills or DSP&S offices and a counselor or specialist's recommendations for accommodating your needs.
 

Other Places for Help

The Writing Center
A student who needs assistance in solving specific writing problems may drop in to receive individual help. Students should bring the paper or assignment with them. Interested persons may receive more information at the center, building 1000 (enter on opposite side of library), or by calling 479-6319.

Tutorial Center
The Tutorial Program offers individual and group assistance to students served by EOPS, Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS), Migrant Education Teacher Preparation Program (METPP) or who are enrolled in certain vocational majors and have academic disadvantages. Interested persons may receive more information at the center, building 1000 (enter on opposite side of library), or by calling 479-6470 or 479-6126.

Disabled Students Program and Services
The Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS) offers a variety of services to enable students with disabilities to function independently in the educational environment. The objective of DSPS services is integrate students with disabilities into general campus programs and activities. Interested persons may receive more information at the center, room 800, or by calling 479-6379 or 479-6370.

COOP Work Experience
The Cooperative Work Experience is designed to combine work experience with classroom instruction to assist students in acquiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be successful in a chosen occupation. Interested persons may receive more information by calling 477-5650.

Counseling
Counselors are committed to providing students with up-to-date information and informed advice regarding their educational and career goals. For more information or to set up an appointment, call 479-6274.