Advice On Teaching Linux To CS Freshmen?

copb.phoenix writes "I'm a sophomore Computer Science student teaching computing labs to a freshman class, getting ready to go over the major ins and outs of the Linux terminal and GUI. While I have my own ideas and the professor over this class to lean on, I've found it difficult to get the few students that I've tried to teach in the past to connect the dots and understand how it relates to what they already know about computers. Does anybody out there have any advice on how to engage and inspire our upcoming class? (Perhaps important: Our machines are running Ubuntu Hardy.)"

Re:Start by...

[TheRaven64]

What can you do in Slackware that is impossible in Ubuntu?

Feeling leet.

Split the class in half

[TheRaven64]

Teach one half of the class vi, and the other half emacs. Then join the class back together for a discussion seminar.

Re:Everything and Nothing

[Anonymous Coward]

Start with vi and go from there.