Developing programs remotely on the CSc Unix server


One of the big advantages of software development on a Unix system is that you can work remotely through a terminal window.  You can write programs, compile, and execute them on the CSc Unix server from any computer that has an internet connection.  You can work from your home computer, or from a laptop sitting in an Internet cafe. 

This short tutorial will demonstrate compiling and execute a simple C program on the CSc Unix server.

  1. First, make a remote connection to the Unix server from your computer.
    Following these directions for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

  2. Once connected, navigate to the folder containing your source files.  Use the Unix "cd" command.
    The following image shows an example with the source files contained in the directory "Documents/CPE101".
    The command "ls -l" shows a full list of files in the directory.  The "more" command displays the contents of a file on the screen.
    unix screenshot


  3. To modify the contents of a file, a simple text editor is available on Unix called "Nano."
    After the user has entered the command "nano greetings.c" the following screen appears:

    nano editor


  4. Move around on the screen using the cursor keys and enter new text by simply typing it.
    Use the delete and backspace keys to make corrections.
    In the example below, the greeting message was changed to "Go Mustangs."
    nano editing


  5. Press Ctrl-X to exit and you will be prompted to save your work.  When nano exits the unix command prompt appears.
    Now you can compile and execute your file, as shown below.

    compiling

If the compiler reports error messages, you might check this list of common errors for a solution.