DR

Intro to OS - Course Intro

Introduction to Operating Systems

  • Introduction by Cindy Quach, Site Reliability Engineer at Google.
  • Focus: Windows and Linux operating systems (OSs).
  • Cindy's background:
    • Manages and supports Google's internal mobile fleet (Android, iOS, Chrome OS).
    • Former Linux systems administrator.
    • Former operations engineer.
    • Started as an IT support specialist.
    • Seven years of experience in IT.

Cindy's Early Experiences with Computers

  • First interaction: Middle school video and multimedia projects.
  • Brother introduced technology at home.
  • Assembled computers with brother due to limited financial resources.
  • Attempted to build a computer from old parts; initial failure due to incompatible components.
  • Troubleshooting led to success and a passion for computers.

Career Path and Linux Experience

  • College job as an IT support specialist.
  • Realization that tech could be a career.
  • Experience with operating systems troubleshooting.
  • Experience as systems administrator on Google's Linux team:
    • Felt inadequate initially due to teammates' expertise.
    • Command line was initially overwhelming.
    • Overcame challenges through persistence.
    • Developed tools and contributed to open-source software.

Course Overview

  • Focus on practical aspects of operating systems, including Windows and Linux.
  • Interaction with operating systems via the command line.
  • Command line: text commands instead of a graphical user interface (GUI).

Course Content

  • File systems.
  • User permissions and roles (important for IT support).
  • Package managers and their tradeoffs for Windows and Linux.
  • Process management for understanding program execution.
  • Remote connection tools for accessing computers remotely.
  • OS deployment, or installing OSs on multiple machines simultaneously.

Importance of Practice

  • Need to practice to gain proficiency in operating systems.
  • Navigating the operating system will become second nature with practice.

Learning Recommendations

  • Follow along with a computer using Windows and/or Linux.
  • Use QuickLabs for active learning exercises simulating Windows and Linux OSs.