One login, every classroom
A new student logs in on a computer in room 4. Her files appear. She prints to the library printer. Tomorrow she logs in on a laptop in room 9, and her files are there too.
A computer alone does not do that. Something runs the whole building. Meanwhile, her phone runs a different kind of system built for a battery.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Network operating system | an operating system that runs and controls a network | a Linux server |
| Resource sharing | many users using the same printer, file or disk | |
| User management | making accounts and deciding what each user may do | |
| Mobile operating system | an operating system built for phones and tablets | Android |
| Network | computers joined together so they can share things | |
| Operating system | the main program that runs a computer | |
| Account | a login with its own name and rights |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe what a network operating system and a mobile operating system do.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
A network operating system runs a network
A network operating system runs on a server and looks after the whole network. It does three jobs.
Resource sharing: many people use one printer and one set of files. User management: it makes accounts and decides who may do what. Communication: it lets computers send messages and files to each other.
The three jobs of a network system
| Job | What it does | Example in a college |
|---|---|---|
| Resource sharing | Shares printers, files and disks | One printer for a whole corridor |
| User management | Makes accounts, passwords and rights | A student cannot open staff files |
| Communication | Moves messages and files between computers | A teacher sends a file to a class folder |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Extra: Who does the system think you are?
idA command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.
Extra: Count the accounts on this system
getent passwd | wc -lA command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.