Which version is on that PC?
A security warning arrives: version 4.1 of a program has a serious weakness. The fix is in version 4.2. Which of the firm's 200 PCs still run 4.1?
If nobody records versions, nobody knows. Keeping a record is the habit that fixes this.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Version control management | keeping track of which versions are installed and when they change |
| Operating system | the program that runs a computer and its other programs |
| Licence | permission to use software, often for a set number of users |
| Fresh installation | installing something new on a clean system |
| Utility software | small programs that look after a computer, such as backup and scanning tools |
| Licensing | having the legal right to use software, often for a set number of users |
| Patch | a small update that fixes a fault or a security weakness |
| Firmware | the small program built into a device that starts it up |
| Driver | a small program that lets the system use a piece of hardware |
| Anti-malware | software that finds and removes harmful programs |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can list what a fresh install includes and the four kinds of update a technician applies.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
A fresh installation
A fresh installation puts everything on a clean system. It has four parts. The operating system. The application software, such as the office tools. Utility software, such as backup and scanning tools. And licensing: each program must be licensed, and the technician records which key or account it uses.
Record the versions. That is the start of version control.
Four parts of a fresh install
| Part | Examples | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux | Name and version |
| Application software | Office tools, browser | Name and version |
| Utility software | Backup tool, scanner | Name and version |
| Licensing | Product keys or accounts | Which licence, how many left |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Record the operating system version
head -2 /etc/os-releaseA command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.
Record the version of one program
dpkg -s tzdata | grep ^VersionA command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.
See what was installed and when
grep " install " /var/log/dpkg.log | tail -2A command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.