CSS Survival Guide: Survival Tips

Here are a few survival tips that will help you get started using the computers in the labs, and some helpful tips to make your computing experience here more pleasant and hassle-free.

Browse the e-tudes, which are short, how-to documents on many aspects of computing in the College of Engineering. Topics range from saving and using email addresses, using the wireless network, managing disk quota, using a secure terminal connection (SSH), to using the various mail clients and mapping a drive.

Your engineering account includes access to an email account with the same login ID and password.

For help, call the CSS consultant at 319-335-5055, or come to the consulting office as 1253 SC, or write email to consultant@engineering.uiowa.edu

The Hering (1220 SC) and Elder (1231 SC) labs are located on the 1st floor of the Seamans Center. They are open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, though the building is not open all that time. You can get an access card from CSS, 1256 SC, that will give you 24x7 access to the Seamans Center and the labs. The Henry Electronic Classroom, 1245 SC, is open for lab use when not otherwise scheduled.

There is wireless network and public port wired access in the Seamans Center. The wireless network is available in much of the Seamans Center. Most of the wired public ports are in the 2nd floor entry foyer and the student commons.

If you have a computer (and a modem and communications software) at home, you can login remotely to the engineering network to access your files or send and receive email. Ask the consultants for details or read about connections.

Don't share your password with anyone.

When working in the Hering and Elder labs, documents that you print are sent to one of the two laser printers in the lab. Each side printed costs $.05; students get $10.00/semester in print quota; then you begin credit printing up to $25/month. Go to the Electronics Shop, 2018 SC, to pay cash for printing if you do not have charging privileges.

To see a list of software available on the lab computers (Elder and Hering labs, Henry classroom), read the software information page. You will find links to additional information about some programs.

On a Windows computer, browse through the Start | All Programs menus to see what sorts of Windows software is available to use.

On a Linux computer, browse from the Start menu to see what software is available. You can also check the software page to see what applications are installed on Linux.

Go to New Account FAQ . Go to CSS Services. Survival Guide home page.

updated: 27 May 2006