Lab Manual Section 0: Class Tools

0-0: Introduction to EMACS

Objectives:

1. Demonstrate proficiency editing text files with Emacs.
2. Perform the following tasks using only keyboard commands:
• Move around a file forward and backward by a character, word, line, and screen;
• Search for a string;
• Open, save, and close a file;
• Cut & paste;
• Manage multiple views:
• Split an Emacs frame into multiple windows;
• Make Emacs windows disappear;
• Control what is displayed within an Emacs window;
• Be able to switch keyboard focus between Emacs windows;
• Exit Emacs;

Introduction:

This lab will be taught on Linux hosts in the Reconfigurable Network Lab (ReCoN) located in room CS319.

Emacs is a convenient text editor that you will use for this lab. More information on a popular version called GNU Emacs can be found at: www.gnu.org/software/emacs/.

Assignment

1. Log in to a computer at ReCoN. Use your Miners' domain user-id & password.
2. Start an initial shell. Shells require text input and therefore are usually connected to text terminals. Nowadays, terminals are usually implemented as programs that display a text window and accept characters typed at a keyboard. To open a terminal window at ReCoN that is attached to the bash shell program, do the following:
• Open the "Applications" menu;
• Select "Accessories";
• Select "Terminal"

You assignment will be to read the Emacs tutorial. You will have a quiz over the material at the beginning of lab next week.

The tutorial may require several hours. While you can download reference cards from the web, it probably is in your best interest to (at least initially) organize your own. You probably want to bring your favorite reference card to class so that you can work more efficiently at labs and quizzes.

NB: In UNIX-like environments, the shell prompt often ends with a $. We use the $ below to denote this shell prompt. Do not type $ as part of your commands.

On your terminal window type the following:

$ emacs &

Now press Ctrl+H followed by the t key to launch the Emacs tutorial.