CTS 1106 (Intro to Unix/Linux) Project #3
Using vi and email

The purpose of this project is to use the vi editor, and to use command-line email tools such as pine (also known as alpine).

1. Using the techniques shown in class (and your textbook), create a file in your home directory called “.vimrc”.  Use this file to customize vim settings.  You may wish to set some of the following: tab stops (shift-width), auto-indent, text-wrap, syntax highlighting, and search highlighting.  For this assignment the only required setting is to turn on “autoindent”.  (Hint:  Use “ls -a”, or ls won't show any files whose name begins with a dot.  That includes “.vimrc”.)
2. Using vi, create a file called “about.me”.  This file should have at least one but no more than two short paragraphs about yourself (about 5 to 10 lines total).  You don't have to be truthful; feel free to describe your career as a secret agent if you like.  Make sure this file is in your home directory on YborStudent, and has this exact name.  For full credit, your file must: use mixed case letters when appropriate, be correctly spelled (try using the “spell” or the “aspell” commands), and have all lines shorter than 72 characters.
3. Include in your email (but not in the about.me file) the answers to these questions:
   1. What is the option to chfn command to change a user's full name from the command line?
   2. What is the name of the non-visual editor associated with the original vi editor?
   3. How can you learn what an option such as autoindent (or any other command) in vim does?
4. Using any method shown in class (such as alpine) email to me (“wpollock” on YborStudent) a copy of the contents of the about.me file and the answers to the above questions.  (You don't have to send your “.vimrc” file; I'll look for it in your home directory.)  For full credit, the message must have a subject of “Project 3” exactly, contain your about.me file's contents exactly, and the correct answers to the questions asked above.  For full credit, do not send your file as an “attachment”.

   If you send more than one copy of project 3, you will lose credit for each additional copy.  (We are testing your email abilities, after all!)  Only the last one sent before the due date will be examined by me.  (I suggest you practice by sending email to yourself first.  Only when you are happy with the result, submit one email to me.  If you sent the email correctly, you should receive an automatic return-receipt a few seconds later.)

Send your email to wpollock on YborStudent.  Use a subject such as “Project 3” (without the quotes).  Make sure the about.me and the .vimrc files are correctly named and to be found in your home directory.  Do not delete or rename these files until after you have verified your grade for this project has been correctly recorded.

Note this project really should be emailed to wpollock@YborStudent.hccfl.edu and not pollock@acm.org!

Please do not send as attachments.  Refer to the Projects and the Submitting Assignments sections of your syllabus for more information.

Send questions about this assignment to .  Please use a subject similar to “Intro to Unix/Linux Project #3 (Using vi and email) Question” so I can tell which emails are questions about the assignment (and not submissions).