Courseware Links

"Courseware" here means software that is required or recommended for students to use in the courses I teach, e.g., programming language compilers, text editors, web browsers; not "course management systems."

Revision Notes

Version 3.1 (9/6/2008): added direct link to PuTTY under "ssh".
Version 3.0 (8/26/2008):
Removed two courses: CSCI-C 335, CSCI-C 307.
Removed software: gcc, gdb, hla, xsb prolog, stk, tomcat.
Updated Linux versions.
Corrected requirements for INFO-I 320.
Version 2.11 (1/17/2007): Added Windows PATH for Java.
Version 2.10 (8/13/2006): Deprecated Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.
Version 2.9 (7/24/2006): Updated software versions; added evince, gdb.
Version 2.8 (5/30/2006): Added C335 and HLA.
Version 2.7 (4/14/2006): Updated style and validated XHTML
Version 2.6 (9/3/2005): Updated XChat information.
Version 2.5 (9/1/2005): Added Cygwin link under Linux.
Version 2.4 (8/30/2005): Updated link to IU Fedora mirror.
Version 2.3 (8/30/2005): Updated link for secure shell client
Version 2.2 (8/27/2005): Added link to comparison of Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Version 2.1 (8/12/2005): Added XChat IRC client.
Version 2.0 (8/1/2005): Changed requirements for C201; updated version information.
Version 1.3 (3/5/2005): Added information about MathML.

What to Get: Courseware by Class

CSCI-C 201 = Introduction to Computer Science (Fall)
CSCI-C 243 = Introduction to Data Structures (Fall)
INFO-I 320 = Distributed Computing (Fall)
INFO-I 211 = Information Infrastructure II (formerly CSCI-C 202) (Spring)
IIM-I 340 = Database Systems (Spring)

Matrix

Software Fall Courses Spring Courses
CSCI-C 201 / INFO-I 210 CSCI-C 243 INFO-I 320 INFO-I 211 IIM-I 340
Web browser XXXXX
IRC client XXXXX
PDF reader XXXXX
Secure shell client (ssh, PuTTY) XXXXX
VNC XXXXX
Emacs text editor XXXXX
Unix operating system XXXXX
Python X X   
Java 2 SDK  X  XX
Apache web server (httpd)   X   
PostgreSQL DBMS   X  X
dia diagram editor   X  X
OpenSSL   X   
GNUpg   X   

Where to Get Software

Web browser
Users of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (MSIE6, a.k.a. "IEsux") are cautioned that this browser does not adequately support contemporary World Wide Web standards. In particular, the MSIE6 implementation of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) leaves much to be desired. This instructor's entire personal web site, included the instructor's course web sites, is intended to be "best viewed by any standards-compliant browser", and MSIE6 is not recommended.
While Internet Explorer 7 is much better than 6, there are still some web standards it does not adequately support.
Firefox (version 2 or higher) is the recommended browser for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Macintosh OS X. Browser should be configured to support Java, JavaScript, MathML, and debugging (DOM Inspector, JavaScript Console).
How to configure Linux Firefox for MathML.
(Is this procedure still needed? I think not.)
Plugins:
IRC Client
IRC = Internet Relay Chat
I use XChat, which is distributed with Fedora Linux. Version 2.6 or higher recommended. XChat is available for many varieties of Linux and Unix, including Macintosh OSX; and for Microsoft Windows. The Windows version is shareware costing $20 as of Sept. 2005. The other versions are freeware.
For alternative IRC clients, see DALnet's list, a short list, Macintosh clients, another list of Macintosh clients, Linux/Unix clients, a longer client list.
Search IRC provides an IRC client as a Java applet.
You can chat on the Blitzed IRC Network using just a web browser instead of a real IRC client (with somewhat reduced functionality, however). See CGI:IRC Login.
Beginner guides to IRC: Chatting on the Net, IRC commands, IRC Help, IRC Prelude
PDF Reader
Use any PDF reader. Options include:
Adobe Reader (version 7 or higher), formerly called "Adobe Acrobat Reader".
Evince included in Fedora 7.
Ghostscript and gv (ghostscript version 8.15 or higher, gv version 3.6 or higher) are included in Fedora.
Secure Shell Client
Openssh is included with Fedora and Macintosh OS X. Use the latest available version, at least 4.3p2-4.
PuTTY is a free implementation of ssh for Win32 and Unix platforms.
At IU, what SSH clients are supported and where can I get them? Download for MS Windows (IU only)
Openssh.org maintains a list of alternative clients for Windows and Macintosh (non-OS X).
VNC (Virtual Network Computing) (version 4.1.1 or higher)
Linux version included in Fedora. Install the rpm's: vnc and vnc-server.
(recommended) TightVNC, a VNC derivative said to be especially good with slow networks.
RealVNC (original VNC)
GNU Emacs (version 22.1 or higher)
For Linux -- included with Fedora (original source here)
Emacs for MS Windows
Linux
Fedora 7 or later, or equally recent version of another distribution. (As of August 2008, the latest release is Fedora 9. The Unix lab in ML 102 is running Fedora 7. I use Fedora 9 at home and in my office. I recommend upgrading to Fedora 8 or 9, because 7 is at "end of life" with no more security updates.)
Fedora Project Home
Download
IU Mirror of Fedora distributions
Many other Linux distributions are available. Linux Online provides links to many (probably all) Linux distributions and download information. IU also mirrors some of these distributions.
Cygwin enables many Unix/Linux programs to run on a Microsoft Windows operating system. If you're not going to install Linux, you should definitely check out Cygwin!
Python (version 2.4.3 or higher
Home page
Fedora users should install the rpm packages python, python-docs, python-tools, and tkinter. (The last three provide documentation, tools including IDLE, and an interface to Tk graphics, respectively.)
C201 students will install John Zelle's graphics package in their own directories. Follow the instructions in John Zelle, Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science, pp. 488-489. The package is available from Zelle's Teaching with Python website or from Franklin, Beedle & Associates (publisher).
Java 2 SDK
Version 1.5 (also called "5" or "5.0"!) or later stable distribution.
Note: 1.5 has significant language improvements over 1.4; so if you have 1.4, upgrade! ( Details)
For Linux and Windows platforms: download
For Macintosh -- OS X, I think, already includes Java 2
Apache Web Server (httpd)
Home Page
Version 2.0 or later stable release.
The MIS lab administrator need not install this program.
I490 students will install the Apache web server from source code from the Apache web site (not the packages provided in the Fedora distribution) and configure it as an individual web server. The instructor will provide details at a later date.
Download these files directly from the Apache download site: httpd-2.x.x.tar.asc, httpd-2.x.x.tar.md5, KEYS.
Download this file from the same site or any of its mirrors: httpd-2.x.x.tar.gz (where "x.x" stands for minor release numbers).
PostgreSQL
Home Page
Included in Fedora
Install these rpm's on the server (version 7.4.8 or later): postgresql, postgresql-contrib, postgresql-devel, postgresql-docs, postgresql-jdbc, postgresql-libs, postgresql-odbc, postgresql-server, postgres-tcl.
Install the same rpm's, except postgresql-server, on each client -- each workstation in the Linux lab.
Porting PostgreSQL to Windows 2000 installation procedures
Dia -- a drawing program
Home Page
Included in Fedora
OpenSSL (Secure Socket Layer)
Needed to provide https service.
Included with Fedora -- install the rpm packages openssl and openssl-devel, version 0.9.8b-14 or later.
GnuPG (GNU Privacy Guard)
Home Page
Needed to create certificates for SSL and to verify signatures of packages.
Included with Fedora -- install the rpm package gnupg, version 1.2.6-1 or later

Comments: Gregory D. Weber.

Revalidated XHTML 1.1 on or after 8/26/2008