Programming Environment in Linux

ECE 264 uses Linux. Please read this page about different ways to access Linux computers.

This is a quick reference of Linux commands.

Over the years, it has been observed that one most common problem is that some students do not have easy access to Linux programming environment. ECE 264 uses Linux and you must have access to Linux. There are many options, from the most preferrable to the least.

• You can go to EE 206 and EE207 and use the machines there. This is the best option because all needed tools have already been installed. After you log in, click the "Redhat" icon and select "System Tools - Terminal".
• If you are in an ITaP lab (running Windows), select "Start" and search "Secure". Click "SecureCRT". Follow these instructions. You can connect to the following machines: ecelinuxnn.ecn.purdu.edu; nn is a number between 01 to 49, for example, ecelinux41.ecn.purdue.edu. You will be asked to provide your user name and your password.  If you receive no response within 10 seconds, the machine is probably down. Try another machine by using another number. If you want to download files to your local machine or upload files to the Linux machines, you can use SecureFX. You can also download it from the ECN web site. If you want to map your ECN directory on your Windows machine, please follow the instructions. If you are outside campus, please use VPN (virtual private network).
• If you have a Linux (or Mac) computer, you can remotely connect to these machines using secure shell (SSH) on a terminal.  Use "ssh -Y youraccount@ecelinuxnn.ecn.purdue.edu"; nn is a number between 01 to 49, for example, ecelinux41.ecn.purdue.edu.  The flag -Y allows new windows (such as emacs or ddd) to return to your local machine.  You can an ssh key so that you do not have to type password every time.
• If you have a Windows computer, you can remotely connect to these machines using secure shell (SSH).  You can download Windows SSH client (SecureCRT) from ECN. Follow these instructions. You can connect to the following machines: ecelinuxnn.ecn.purdu.edu; nn is a number between 01 to 49, for example, ecelinux41.ecn.purdue.edu. You will be asked to provide your user name and your password.  If you receive no response within 10 seconds, the machine is probably down. Try another machine by using another number.  If you need to run X window, you can install Cygwin and start X server on your machine. Click Start on lower left corner, select the Cygwin-X group, and click "XWin Server". If you are on campus, this is a good option.  If you are off campus, the network may be too slow.
• You can install Linux on your personal computer and make it dual boot (i.e. boot to either Linux or Windows).
• You can also install Linux inside Windows by following the step-by-step instructions.
• (This is not recommended because the setup requires many steps.) In Windows, you can also install Cygwin or MinGW. If you install Qt, it will include MinGW. Qt is a C++ library for graphical user interfaces. You  need to set the paths correctly. You can watch this video and follow the instructions. This requires more knowlege of Windows.  If you do not know how to do this, don't waste your time trying. Go to EE 206/207. 

You should not use vi or vim to edit your programs. There are much better editors, such emacs or eclipse, that provide syntatic highlighting and automatic indentation.

Why does ECE264 use Linux?

• Linux is a popular choice for building embedded systems.
• Android is based on Linux.
• MacOS is UNIX-based.
• 90% of the top 500 supercomputers run Linux.
• About 60% web servers run Linux.