Information for New Users - Linux on the MCS

The default operating system for PCs connected to the Computing Service MCS network is Windows XP. However in some of the MCS rooms, including all the Computing Service MCS rooms, it is also possible to use Linux.MCS  Linux is based on SuSE, but with some local features and restrictions. You need to be registered for the MCS to use the machines. If you are not already registered, you will need to fill in an application form. This is available online (the form is also available from Computing Service Reception).

In the instructions below, click means click the index finger button (left-hand button in the default mouse setup) unless otherwise specified. See Using an MCS Linux PC for reconfiguring the mouse for left-handed use.

Starting Linux and logging in

You will usually find that a PC in a MCS room is already switched on, and displaying this window:

Note: If the MCS Linux line is not present, then the machine does not have the option of running Linux.

If the screen is blank, move the mouse to refresh the display.

If the machine is, exceptionally, switched off, switch it on and go to step 2, below.

1. Hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys while pressing Delete. A warning message about use of the system is displayed; click on OK. This produces a Novell login box for logging in to Windows XP; instead of doing this, select Shutdown.. followed by Shutdown and Restart, and click OK.
2. After some preliminary checks, the system will ask you to select (within 30 seconds) the operating system to start; use the down arrow key to highlight MCS Linux and then press Return to confirm your choice. If you wait too long to make your selection, the system will start in Windows XP.
3. A splash screen appears and the system continues to boot into Linux. If the system had to update itself this may take some time and it may reboot.
4. A warning message about use of the network is displayed. After reading it, click on OK.
5. A dialog box is displayed, asking for your Desktop Services user identifier. You will also see menus at the top and bottom of the screen. Text Console switches out of graphical mode - instructions for returning to graphical mode are given. Change Resolution toggles between default and low resolutions mode. Session allows you to choose your session types - gnome, fvwm2 (original MCS Linux window manager) and failsafe (giving a single window, if you have been making changes to your personal configuration and something has gone wrong this will allow you to fix the problem). If you are logging in for the first time the default is gnome, otherwise it is the last session type you used. Once you have entered your user identifier and checked your Session Type, press Return.
6. A dialog box is displayed, asking for your password. Once you have entered this, press Return.
7. If you are using gnome then, once you have logged in, you will see a window containing the Message of the Day then, after gnome has completely started, the panel and some desktop icons appear.

Note: The examples below use gnome.

The panel

This is found at the bottom of the screen.

At the left are three pop-up menus. Applications are further classified into groups, each of which will be expanded when the mouse hovers over the group name. Under Places you will find, for example, Search for Files and a list of Recent Documents (this will only show ones stored in your Documents folder). Under System you will find, for example, a Logout option and Yelp (SuSE's Help Topics program). The next icons are Firefox (web browser) and OpenOffice Writer (word processor).

The centre of the panel shows icons for all windows (applications) you have opened, including any which have been minimised; selecting an icon brings that window to the front.

At the far right are the Volume Control slider, a Display Information icon, the date and time panel and the Desktop icon; clicking on that minimises all windows in the current workspace (or restores them if they are all minimised).

Mouse and window operations

The main operations you may want are:

Mouse buttons:
clicking the right mouse button, for example on a window or on the background, gives a context-sensitive menu.

Windows:

	(far right) to close the window
	(second right) to maximise the window
	(third right) to minimise the window
	(far left) for a menu of window operations

• click and drag on window border to resize the window
• click and drag on a window's title bar to move the window

Logging out

To log out from the MCS choose Log Out from the System menu (if you are in a failsafe session then typing logout in the window will exit the session). Doing this returns you to the window described in step 5 above, from which you can login to Linux again or choose to reboot the system into Windows. A machine left in this state for roughly 30 minutes will automatically be rebooted into Windows.

Remote Access

MCS Linux is also accessible remotely, details are in Using remote Linux on the MCS.

Further Information

The MCS Information pages

30 Useful Unix Commands, intended for Unix beginners who need a guide to the names and details of commands that are likely to be of use to them.

Last updated: October 2010