Gregory D. Weber

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If you are taking this class (INFO I210) online, you need to install some software on your computer.

If you are taking the class not online, you may want to install some software on your computer. You also have the option of using the computers in the Linux Lab, TR 102, which should have all the necessary software installed.

Let's start with an overview of what we need:

  1. (All students) The course requires you to be able to read web pages and PDF files.
  2. (Online only) You will probably want to play at least some of the audio and video files.
  3. (All students) In addition, the homework requires you to write programs in a language called Python, and to make use of the Unix operating system, so those need to be available to you. It is not necessary to install them on your computer, although that is one option. The other choices are to use them in the IU East Linux computer lab in Tom Raper Hall 102, or to use them by remote login to the IU East Linux server. If you choose remote login, you'll probably still need to install some software.
  4. (Online only) Finally, this course has a "lab" component in which you need to develop and debug programs and use the computer in other ways. When the course meets in the classroom, the lab sessions are a valuable opportunity for many students to ask questions and receive "hands-on" assistance from their instructor. Helping online students debug their programs is … challenging, but there are some constructive things we can do to make it work.

Before we get to the details, I might as well confess up front that I'm a free/libre/open-source software (FLOSS) fanatic advocate. What is free software? Software can be free in two senses: "free as in beer" (you don't have to pay money for it—and that's nice), and "free as in speech" (you can do pretty much what you want with it—and that's even nicer). It's this second sense of freedom I'm more concerned about. Software which is not free in the second sense is called proprietary. Some proprietary software costs money, but some does not. All proprietary software severely limits what you can do with the product*: the typical "End User License Agreement" (EULA) prohibits you from copying, redistributing, modifying, reverse engineering, or examining the source code of the product. Free software allows you to do all these things. You can give it away to your friends without breaking the law!

I don't object to people having the right to make and sell proprietary software, if they wish to; I just prefer not to use it. In most cases I can find a free alternative of high quality.

All of the software which I recommend or require for this course is free software.

You should read some or all of remaining parts of this document, depending on whether you are on online student:

  1. Any Standards-Compliant Web Browser (all students)
  2. Any PDF Document Viewer (all)
  3. Audio and Video Player (online students)
  4. Python Programming (all)
  5. Unix (all)
  6. Tools for Remote Help (online)
  7. Summary (all)

Next: Any Standards-Compliant Web Browser