Pellissippi State Technical Community College
Master Syllabus
UNIX UTILITIES AND SHELL PROGRAMMING
CST 2460
Class Hours: 3.0 Instructor:
Laboratory Hours: 3.0 Office No.:
Credit Hours: 4.0 Phone No.:
Revised: December 2006 Email:
Catalog Course Description:
A study of the UNIX operating system. Topics include use of UNIX utilities, electronic mail, and shell programming.

Entry Level Standards:
The entering student should have a familiarity with the MS-DOS operating system. The student is expected to have moderate programming abilities in a high-level language.

Pre-requisites and/or Co-requisites:  CST 1110 and one programming course.

Textbooks and Other Related Material Basic to the Course:
Das, Your UNIX: The Ultimate Guide, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2006.

Robbins & Beebe, Classic Shell Scripting, O'Reilly, 2005.
I.      WEEK/CHAPTER/TOPIC BASIS:
Week Lecture Topic
1 Getting started
2 Understanding the Unix command
3 General purpose utilities
4 The vi/vim editor, The file system
5 The file system, File attributes
6 The shell
7 Simple filters
8 The process, TCP/IP networking
9 Email, The Internet
10 Shell programming
11 Shell programming
12 Advanced shell programming
13 Using AWK
14 Perl
15 Final Exam
II.      COURSE OBJECTIVES:
  1. Use basic UNIX commands and utilities. II, III, IV, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII
  2. Use redirection and piping. II, III, IV, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII
  3. Produce and use simple user interfaces. I, III, IV, V, IX, XI, XII
  4. Use common UNIX text editors. III, IV, VI, VIII, IX, XI
  5. Write shell programs. III, IV, V, VI, IX, XI
III.      INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESSES: Students will:
  1. Use professional tools to produce software components and documentation. Technological Literacy, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning

  2. Create a well-documented shell application based on client input and specifications. Communications Outcome, Technological Literacy, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning

  3. Create a CGI scripts based on client input and specifications. Communications Outcome, Technological Literacy, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning

  4. Use professionally accepted methods and materials in their approach to completion of applications. Technological Literacy, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning
IV.      EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE: The student should be able to
  1. Write shell scripts in C shell and/or Bourne shell. A, B, C, D
  2. Use UNIX commands to solve problems. A, B, C
  3. Customize a UNIX environment for a specific application. A, B, C, D
  4. Produce formatted documents using UNIX text processing tools. A, D
  5. Apply the 'tool box' concept to specific problems. A, B, C
  6. Be able to perform file management activities to their file system. A, B
  7. Use vi and/or emacs and/or pico editor to create and edit files. A, D
  8. Be familiar with the development of the UNIX system. A, B
V.      EVALUATION:
  1. Testing Procedures:
    At least 2 tests will be given. Tests may only be made up for excused absences. An excused absence is one that can be verified by supporting documentation. Failure to make a passing quiz average will result in a grade of F for the course.

  2. Laboratory Expectations:
    Laboratory Expectations: At least 5 lab projects will be assigned during the course of the semester. Failure to make a passing lab project average will result in a grade of F for the course.

  3. Field Work: N/A

  4. Other Evaluation Methods: N/A

  5. Grading scale:
    93 – 100 A
    88 – 92 B+
    83 – 87 B
    78 – 82 C+
    73 - 77 C
    65 – 72 D
    0 – 64 F
VI.      POLICIES:
  1. Attendance policy:
    Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities. As a minimum, students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. [NOTE: No differentiation is noted for excused/unexcused absences. These will be treated as an absence.]

  2. Academic dishonesty:
    Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed through the regular Pellissippi State procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for the exercise or examination or to assign an F in the course.

  3. Computer Usage Guidelines:
    College-owned or –operated computing resources are provided for use by students of Pellissippi State. All students are responsible for the usage of Pellissippi State's computing resources in an effective, efficient, ethical and lawful manner.

  4. Accommodation for Disabilities:   If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the instructor immediately. Please see the instructor privately after class or in his/her office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 127 or 131 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153.

  5. Other:
    In the event that you have an emergency beyond your control, you must notify the instructor as soon as possible.