- 1.
- To Login:
On the login screen:
- Enter your username (your campus userid)
(usually
your first and middle initials and the
first six characters of your last name.)
Example: Name: Amy Clara Patterson Username:
acpatter
- Type in your password
(initially, your password is your student number,
usually your Social Security Number)
In a short time, the desktop should appear.
- 2.
- To Open a Console Window:
Assuming the desktop is visible on the computer:
Use the mouse to position the screen pointer
to an unoccupied spot on the desktop.
Press and hold the RIGHT mouse button to select
Workspace Menu / Hosts / Terminal Console, then release the button.
A console window should appear.
Notes: The console window allows you to give commands to the Unix
shell.
To execute a command, type it and any additional arguments the command
needs
(such as a filename), then press the Return key. Some useful commands
are:
- (a)
- ls (for list saved, to see the list of files in the current
directory)
- (b)
- netscape (to launch the Netscape application)
- (c)
- mathematica (to launch the Mathematica application)
- (d)
- passwd (to change your password)
- (e)
- pwd (for print working directory, to see what directory is
current)
- (f)
- cd mystuff (for change directory, to move to the directory
mystuff)
- (g)
- cd .. (to move to the previous directory in the tree)
- (h)
- cp lab2.nb oldlab.nb
(to copy lab2.nb, and name the copy ``oldlab.nb'')
- (i)
- rm lab2
(for remove, used to delete the file lab2 from the current
directory)
- 3.
- To Change your Password:
In a console window, enter ``passwd'' and follow the directions.
- 4.
- To Open Netscape:
In a console window: enter ``netscape''.
Soon the Netscape window should appear.
- 5.
- To Download a Mathematica Notebook from the Mathlab Webpage:
In the Netscape window:
- Type the mathlab web address ``www.mathlab.mtu.edu''
into the Location line in
the Netscape window, press the Return key.
The mathlab homepage should appear.
- Click on the link to your course number (e.g. MA1160).
The course page appears containing a list of Mathematica Notebook
links
followed by the Lab Project Schedule. (Scroll down as needed.)
- Hold the Shift key down while you click on the desired
Mathematica notebook link.
This causes a Save As.. window to appear.
- Then click on the OK button.
This will download a copy of the Mathematica Notebook to your
home directory.
- Repeat the Shift click procedure for each notebook you want.
- 6.
- To Exit Netscape:
In the Netscape window:
use the LEFT mouse button to select the menu item File / Exit.
Notes: It is a good idea to exit Netscape before opening
the Mathematica application.
- 7.
- To Inspect the Contents of your Home Directory:
In a console window:
type ``ls'' in the command line of the console window.
A list of home directory files should appear.
Notes: If the console window is currently in some directory
other than your home directory, you will get the contents of that
directory.
To see what directory is current, type ``pwd'' (for print working
directory)
in the console window command line.
To put the console window in your home directory, type ``cd''
in the command line.
- 8.
- To Open the Mathematica Application Program:
In a console window:
type ``mathematica'' in the command line. (Make sure you spell it
correctly!)
In a short time, a Mathematica window appears.
Notes: This is an empty Mathematica window,
NOT a previously constructed notebook.
Mathematica commands may be entered and executed in this window, but you
will
want to work within one of the notebooks provided in the course.
See the next item.
- 9.
- To Open a Mathematica notebook from within a Mathematica
window:
- Use the LEFT mouse button to select File / Open...
A File Selector window should appear.
- Use the LEFT mouse button to select the notebook you wish to
open,
then select the OK button.
A Mathematica window containing the notebook will appear.
Notes:
You may repeat this procedure to get as many notebooks simultaneously
open as you wish, but note that they are all running in the same
single Mathematica Application program.
In particular,
NEVER type mathematica on the command line of a console window
if you already have Mathematica running,
because this will make two Mathematica
application programs run and confusion occurs.
- 10.
- To Close a Mathematica Notebook Window:
In a specific Mathematica window:
use the LEFT mouse button to select File / Close.
Notes: This action closes only the specific window! It does not
stop the
Mathematica Application program.
- 11.
- To Exit the Mathematica Application program:
In any Mathematica window:
use the LEFT mouse button to select File / Quit
Notes: This makes the Mathematica Application program
stop. All Mathematica windows will close.
- 12.
- To Transfer a Copy of a Notebook to Your Partner's Directory:
In a console window, enter ``sendfile <filename> to
<username>''.
Your partner could then receive the file the next time
they log in, by entering ``sendfile'' and following the
directions.
- 13.
- To End your Desktop Session:
First, quit all application programs
(such as Netscape and Mathematica -
but leave console windows open).
Position the screen pointer to an unoccupied spot on the desktop and
use the RIGHT mouse button to select Workspace Menu / Log out (or Exit)
The computer should return to the login screen.
- 14.
- To Work through a Notebook and Create a Report:
With the Mathematica application program running:
Open two Mathematica Notebook windows, the one you wish to work through
(e.g. labex1.nb) and the one in which you will create the report
(e.g. reporttemplate.nb).
Initialize the report notebook by:
- (a)
- deleting all cells except the cell containing many ``info''
entries,
and the cell called ``Initialization Cells''
and the ``Date[]'' cell.
- (b)
- replacing each ``info'' with the appropriate information
- (c)
- saving this initialized report notebook to a new file by
selecting
File / Save As... which opens a Save As window, changing the
filename
to something like reportlabex1, and click the OK button.
Work through the lab notebook (e.g. labex1.nb) by reading it, executing
all command cells (nontext cells), and creating solutions to each
exercise.
Each time you complete the solution of an exercise, update your report
notebook by copying just the exercise statement and your solution of it
into
the report notebook and saving the report notebook (select File / Save).
When you have completed this process for all exercises in the lab
notebook,
you should execute the ``Date[]'' cell in the report notebook and again
save
the report notebook.
Now print the report notebook and hand it in.
Notes: By keeping your report current,
you avoid having to redo your previous
work in the case that the Mathematica program freezes
(this happens occasionally).
You can get a new copy of the lab notebook from the Web and begin work
on the next exercise after the one you last saved in the report!