CS452: Lab Information

What to do for various problems

Problem: Terminals down, UNIX machines down. Use the normal problem reporting mechanisms. For low-priority issues use the gripe command to report the problem. If it is something high-priority, like all the UNIX machines being down, tell the operator. During production hours, buzz at the door to MC3015 near the printer room, or call x3559. Outside of regular hours you can call security (x4911) and explain to them that there is a serious computer problem. If you convince them it is serious, they will call the appropriate person at home, waking them from blissful slumber. That person may choose to come in and fix the problem (but they aren't paid to do it, so don't get your hopes up).
Problem: Software configuration. If the problem is related to course-specific software, e-mail the course account at cs452@student.cs.uwaterloo.ca or contact the course staff directly. For other problems use the gripe command to report the problem with as much detail as possible.
Problem: Lab equipment is broken. If there is a problem with the train track, contact Fraser Gunn (x35084). Please provide as much detail about the problem as possible, e.g. the location of a malfunctioning train switch and exactly how it is malfunctioning. You may also contact the course staff if you wish. If the problem is likely to affect other students it would be nice of you to post a warning to the newsgroup or on the chalkboard in the lab.
Problem: Personal safety threatened. Call campus police at x4911 immediately. Do this if you see suspicious things at three o'clock in the morning. Please do this if you see people carrying equipment away from any of the labs. If one of your classmates has a mental or health emergency, x4911 is the correct number to call, not Health Services.

Note that these mail addresses and phone numbers were correct at the time of writing, but are subject to change.

Lab equipment

General

Please do not power off the train or serial analyzer unless necessary. Warm up problems will affect your program responses. Power cycling shortens the life of most electronic equipment.

Serial analyzer

There is a serial analyzer in the lab. Normally it is connected to monitor the train. It's quite user friendly, despite appearances. The only buttons you need to use are the "mode" and "format" buttons (to select the two configuration menus) and the "field select" and direction array keys to move around the menus. Remember you want HEX8 for the train.

If the serial analyzer is misbehaving, please reset it with the following settings:

FORMAT screen:
  HEX-8
  ASYNC-1
  2400
  EVEN PAR
MODE screen:
  MONITOR
  TX CHAR SEQ
  CONTINUOUS
 TRIG =
  OFF

Once these are set up, hitting "run" is the only thing left to do. The analyzer has a memory, so if you hit "stop" you can use the direction arrows to scan through 2K of back samples. Eventually the serial analyzer will run out of memory and stop sampling. In this case, press "stop" and then "run" to get it going again.

The serial analyzer is now officially old enough to vote and is suffering the standard problems associate with silicon dementia. If there are problems with your serial connections try turning off or removing the analyzer from the train. Wherever possible, avoid shutting off the analyzer if it is in a working state.

The Lab Environment

The windows in the lab were installed so we could off our pretty systems to the general populous. It is also quite handy so friends/better-halfs can locate you during your long vigils.

You are welcome to decorate the lab, but keep in mind that it is a shared space and visible to the public through the windows. Please keep all posters, cries for help, etc. respectable.

If a chair breaks, just stick it out in the main hall upside down. It'll be repaired/replaced eventually.

Doors

The lab should be kept secure at all times. This means that the door should only be propped open if there is someone (awake) in the lab. Whenever you leave please check that the lab is properly locked. Under no circumstances should you give out the lab code to anyone not in the class, not even your friends. While you're welcome to bring in friends and show them your amazing operating system during "slow" days, the lab should be reserved for CS452 students in general.

Demonstrations

Occasionally there will be tours running through the lab. This is usually only a minor inconvenience and sometimes is a good opportunity for you to appear on TV or in a newspaper. Tour times will be posted on the blackboard, or, in the case of really important visitors (i.e. those with money) in the newsgroup. During tours times, the train tracks will not be available for generla use, but you are welcome (and in fact encouraged) to hang around the lab and maybe demo your project.

Lab etiquette

Be thoughtful of others. Nothing more needs to be said here. Keep in mind your classmates are trying to meet the same deadlines you are: don't hog resources, especially the train tracks.

Getting started with the software

CS452 uses a variety of course-specific software. To gain access to this software, you need to set up your environment variables appropriately. Luckily we've set up scripts for you to do this easily.

If you use csh (the CSCF default), add the following to your .cshrc:

source /u/cs452/public/env.csh

If you use bash, put the following in your .bashrc instead:

source /u/cs452/public/env.sh

You can also execute these commands manually, but you will likely want to put them in your startup files as described above.