Developing a Linux Administration Course for Beginners

Many people have now heard of the word "Linux." In fact, they may have heard this buzzword so often that they are interested in trying it out. Unfortunately, to the average computer user, this really is not an option. When one reads about having to "partition a hard drive", "install GRUB on the MBR", or "edit the xorg.conf file in /etc/X11", this can have a negative effect on anyone that has do go through this themselves. It usually is more than enough to have the average computer decide that they really don't want to go through the irritation of setting up a system they have no idea how to administer. Therefore, a course was created to introduce Linux to users that are assumed to have little to no knowledge of Linux. As the course was being developed, there were many questions that needed to be addressed, some of which include: * Is there a suitable textbook that can be used? * What topics should be covered? * What are good means of assessment? This course has been given to students in grades 9 - 16, with good results across all age groups. Many of these students now dual-boot Linux and Windows. This symposium will go through the details used to create this course, and provide resources for those interested in creating their own class.

Mike LeVan, Associate Professor of Math, Transylvania University Mike LeVan is an associate professor of mathematics at Transylvania University. While not teaching math or advocating open source solutions, he spends a lot of time with his family, including playing baseball, video games, and baseball video games with his son.