I wrote this guide because when I started out my freshman year with CS61a, I was so lost when using the lab machines. Unix what? Emacs who? Yeah, well, I figured it out eventually after trial and error, personal experience, asking others for help, and reading manuals. I often felt overwhelmed with all the random stuff I had to pick up. Also, I started noticing a lot the same questions being asked in the labs and on the newsgroups by other people. So, I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I saved everyone else all this work and just put everything in one handy guide?". And so, I wrote such a guide. And over the years, I have been adding and revising sections based on user feedback. And here it is: an introduction to using the EECS machines. I hope you find this guide helpful, whether you're using it to learn for yourself, or if you're refering others to it (thus saving yourself from having to explain the same stuff over and over =P).

This guide provides a basic introduction to using programs in the Unix environment. If you're a student using the EECS machines (especially if you've never seen this stuff before), then congratulations, this guide was written with you in mind. But even if you're not, a lot of stuff here is still applicable to Unix machines in general.

When you get the chance, I'd like to hear from you if you found anything here helpful. Or if something was confusing or in error. You can email comments to [email protected].

- Richard