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.