Welcome! This document, CS1000, is a primer designed to help you adjust to the Computer Sciences Department's Unix computing environment. Most likely, you will also want to attend one of the Unix orientations given during the first two weeks of classes.
UnixTM is an operating system, just like MS-DOSTM, Microsoft WindowsTM, or MacOSTM. It runs on a wide range of computers. It is precisely this element of portability that has allowed Unix to become as widely used as it is today. It has risen above its humble beginnings as a programmer's toy on an old minicomputer to become the operating system of choice not only at universities and other research facilities, but also on computers ranging from huge mainframes to the microcomputers that professionals from many fields use. Additionally, most courses you take from this department will be taught using a computer that runs Unix of one flavor or another. For these reasons, familiarity with Unix will aid you both in later life as a computer professional, as well as with your assignments in this department.
Remember as you are reading and learning that nobody learns Unix in a day. This document is by no means comprehensive and barely scratches the surface of some of the more advanced topics and features in Unix. Fret not, gentle newbie, for Unix, like anything worthwhile, takes time to learn and even the most experienced users and hackers have gaps in their knowledge. Be patient, have fun, and seek out help and answers where you can.
NOTE: References to the ``demo01.cs.wisc.edu'' computer or various computer labs should be viewed only as examples. In the latter case, there may or may not be a lab with computers of that name, as the lab names often change and get recycled.