Computational experiments consist of coding in C (C++) or Fortran along with WRITTEN lab reports. Some of the useful tools are introduced in this lab today.
Your class account is the standard "Xterm" window. The Xterm
window has the Unix prompt
rohan%
If you are familiar with UNIX and
Xwindows, please feel free to customize your environment.
Task One (a little UNIX) Perform these tasks in an Xterm Window
This command opens an X-terminal window with a scrollbar
(-sb).
This command is executed in the "background" & so that you should get
the UNIX prompt back immediately in your current window.
passwd
You will be asked for your current
password and then asked for the new one. It should
be at least 6 characters long and include at least onek
upper case letter (A-Z), digit (0-9) or punctuation
character (such as . , or -). It should not be a word
easily found in the dictionary.
chfn
and change your identity to the system from being
"Generic Account" to be your name. Use your own
name to help me learn everyone's name in the class.
Back to Contents
Task Two - Using the System Timers - dtime
We will examine the System Timers, mentioned in lecture
Monday and more detailed later
(
Ch. 6 Text - only the beginning material,
on
Overview of the System Timer).
In this lab, I would like you to obtain the sample programs
(in C and/or Fortran) that actually using the timer.
Task Three (using pine) - start in an Xterm window
pine
and fill in the "blanks" so the To:
field will be masc0430, but use your own class account here.
NOTE:
pine will have to initialize itself the
first time you use it, so watch the messages at the bottom
of the the bottom of your screen and accept all the
defaults. A welcome message is displayed and the instructions
(at bottom on screen) will tell you how to exit the
greeting.
If you wish to use a different mail program, that is your choice, but
students have told me they find pine easy to use. NOTE:
pine is a text-based mail program which means that
it will not respond to your mouse, as Xwindows applications do.
In the body of the mail message, please send
me a simple note so that I can check that
your identity has been changed by
performing Task 1 above.
Back to Contents
Task Four - Email timing results to instructor - Due 25 Sept02
You should capture the output from running the timing examples
above, examine and interpret these results and write a short report
on your discoveries. This should be a ascii text file which you will
email to your instructor by 25 Sept 02 midnight. You will find the
following UNIX commands handy for gathering timing data from your
experiments.
Back to Contents
csample 8 > file1
or
fsample > file2
8
You can examine the contents of these files using the pico
editor, or more simply, with the UNIX command
less file1
You are expected to examine the source code to learn what is being
computed and how the timing information is being generated. I suggest
you use pico to create your report to gain more familiarity with
UNIX and editting ascii text files.
will put you in the pine email mail system. You should
enter an appropriate subject field, which must begin CS575, for example,
Subject: cs575 First Experiment
and then scroll to the --Message Text--
portion of the screen. Look at the menu of pine
commands at the bottom of your screen and see that
^R Read File will allow you to include the data file
you have just created into your mail message. If you
were in the subdirectory timers, not in your Home
directory, I would recommend selecting the ^T To Files
command and then using the arrow keys to navigate to
the directory containing your data file. NOTE:
^R means to depress the Ctrl key and at the same time
depress the R (either upper case, R, or lower case, r).
Task Five using Netscape Communicator
In an Xterm window, at the UNIX prompt type
netscape& [Note: netscape6 is available on Rohan now]
Back to Contents
Task Six - Explore the Answerbook, vi, UNIX, Fortran 90 and C
You might find the following documents useful:
Back to this lab contents
Back to CS575 Class Home Page