User:Chris Tyler/OPS235 Updates

This is a draft only!
It is still under construction and content may change. Do not rely on this information.

Intro

• OPS235 is due for another update, to Fedora 16 + current practices. This page is a scratchpad for recording proposed changes for implementation in Winter 2012.

Course Structure

• Brian has proposed a number of changes to the course structure. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, Mercury is down so I can't check them, but IIRC:
• Murray has added comments in the "discussion section" with feedback and suggestions from Chris. Murray will tend to add comments (date/timestamp) at bottom of discussion page..

Tests

• Drop written test #2. OK by Murray.

Assignments

• Use one larger assignment. Murray likes two stages with related assignments (as opposed to two SEPARATE assignments - reduces marking - less complex)

Labs

• Drop lab #1. Murray likes lab1, but he sees that it (or parts of it) may fit better in a later lab (like lab #5).

Course Content

Anaconda Changes

• The Anaconda UI has changed, especially for storage configuration.

SysVInit -> Systemd

Systemd has replaced the sysvinit system. Since systemd has been accepted by other distros, we should teach it as the primary init system. However, we should touch on the POSIX/sysvinit tools as well because they're still common in the wild.

• Add:
  • systemctl
  • unit files
  • service levels
• Reduce:
  • chkconfig
  • service
• Discuss:
  • Bind mounts (ugly mount table)

msaul: Which lab would SysVInit -> Systemd affect?

ext4

• Use ext4 as the standard filesystem. Add some discussion of btrfs.

Interface Names

• Interfaces are now named according to BIOS/EFI device labels. This is important for server-class systems which are rackmounted. In the past, "eth0", "eth1", "eth2" were hard to line up with back-panel connectors; now, if the BIOS/EFI says that the ports are labelled "network-A", "network-B", and "network-C", that's what the interface names are. If there are no names in the BIOS/EFI, embedded ports come up as emX and PCI ports come up as pXpN (PCI slot X port N).

Loopback Mount Option

• No longer required -- loopback is assumed if the mount source is not a block device.

netstat

• Command is obsolete according to the documentation. Change coverage to the 'ip' command.

git

• Add coverage of the git version-control system.

msaul: would this be placed in lab5?

sudo and the 'wheel' group

• The 'wheel' (admin) group is enabled by default in F15+, and Anaconda provides a checkbox to add users to this group. Users in this group can execute commands as root using their regular account and password.

• We should teach the use of sudo alongside su.

Course Page Layout

Refactor Web Pages

Students are doing the labs without, in some cases, really understanding what they're supposed to be understanding from the lab. Proposed structure:

1. Challenge - outline the task that needs to be performed
2. Background - background information for the task
3. Resources - links to resources related to the task
4. Before You Begin - preparation and warnings before starting
5. Steps - how to perform the task
6. Debugging - debugging guidelines for this type of task (e.g., for network connectivity issues, guide through "IP, routing, nameservice" debugging)
7. Observations - things which the student should note or think through
8. Submitting the Lab - how to get the lab marked -- Question: Should this be based more on the Observations and less on the Steps section above?
9. Preparing for the Quizzes - additional questions to be answered

Use graphics more extensively

• Create some templates for graphics for sections and notes
• Break the page up visually so that it's not one massive bunch'o'scrolling