EGR 103 Startup

This page will eventually be a guide to how to get working on things for EGR 103.

Resources

The main resources for EGR 103 are listed on the bottom of that page. There is also Pratt Pundit's Category:EGR 103, which collects pages of special interest to EGR 103 students.

Tools

The following will be a comprehensive list of the tools we will be using for the class, how to access or install them, and how to configure them.

Working From Off Campus

Note: If you are not on Duke internet, you will need to connect using a security program known as a VPN. See Connecting from Off Campus for links to get the program.

File Storage - Box

You will be working with files on your own computer but you will be backing them up with a system called Box. Duke students have 50 GB of free storage for academic purposes on the box system. Furthermore, you can have box sync up with your local files (as long as you put them in the right place)! If you need to work offline, you can, and when you are back on the Duke network, Box will automatically back up your files. You will also be able to share files with TAs if necessary.

Box Setup

• Go to https://box.duke.edu/.
• Click the LOG IN button.
• If asked if you are Part of Duke? Click Continue.
• Log In using your Duke credentials.
• You should now see your Duke Box - it may be entirely empty.

Local Folder Setup

People with Macs with M1 Chips / Linux

Note: - if you have a new Mac with the M1 chip, you may be able to get Box Drive to work but if not, you will still be able to do all the work for the class but your files will not be backed up to the cloud. Try to get Box Drive working, but if it fails, you should make a folder on your main drive called EGR103S22mac and use it to store all the files for this class until we figure out the issue with the M1. If you see EGR103S22 or Box/EGR103S22 in any further instructions, replace that with EGR103S22mac for now. Skip the steps below regarding Box Drive.

Otherwise

Next you will create a folder on your local computer to synchronize with your Box folder.

• Go to https://duke.app.box.com/services/browse/newest/box_drive for information about Box Drive and for the download links for Windows and Mac.
• Download the appropriate file and install it. For macOS, if it asks you to allow the extensions, you need to open System Preferences; click the General field and then there should be an "Allow" button at the bottom right. You may need to unlock system preferences by clicking the lock icon at lower left and entering your password first.
• Keep track of where the Box folder is placed on your drive.
  • For Windows it is likely a spur off the main File Explorer window and located specifically at C:\Users\USER\Box where USER is your Windows user name.
  • For Mac, a Box drive will be mounted.
• To see it work, on your computer go into your Box folder on your computer, create a new folder within it, and call it EGR103S22 in all caps with no spaces. After you have created it, refresh the browser that is looking at your Box account and the folder should show up in your list!
• Box Drive generally works when you are online and thus keeps things in the cloud and only pulls them down when you need them. To make sure that you have access when you are offline, and to mitigate any internet connectivity issues, you will want to tell Drive to make your folders available offline:
  • In the File Explorer or Finder, open your Box folder. Right-click EGR103S22 and in the context box find "Make Available Offline"
  • Once things have synchronized, there should be a green check by the folder - that is the sign that the folder will be available offline.
• You will never need to set this up again for the computer you are currently working on, but if you end up working on a different computer you will need to install Drive. This also means you can work from public or other computers as your files will always be on Box.

Document Preparation - Overleaf

This semester, we will be using a freemium tool called Overleaf for making lab documents. We will only need the free features for work this semester. Overleaf is a LaTeX editing and processing program. One drawback is that it cannot access files directly on your drive but rather needs you to upload them. As you go through the course, you will get a better and better idea of which files need to be uploaded.

Starting Up

• You can log in using your Duke credentials at https://www.overleaf.com/edu/duke
• Once you have logged in, you will have the option to look at some templates or the Help Guide. We will look at those in lab on my computer, so go ahead and progress straight to creating your first LaTeX project. Make it a blank project, and call it EGR103LAB01. Overleaf will create a main document with some boilerplate information in it.

Accessing (some) Assignments and (some) Readings - Connect

The book for this semester is an electronic book hosted on McGraw-Hill's Connect system. You should have received an e-mail from the Sakai page about where to find it.

Turning (some) Things in - Gradescope

Some of the assignments for this semester will be graded using a system called Gradescope. Gradescope has many powerful features, including the ability to automatically grade some programming assignments!

Starting up

To access Gradescope, go to https://www.gradescope.com/. On the opening page, choose "School Credentials" and then "Duke NetID". If you are enrolled in the course (and if Sakai has had a chance to update the roster) EGR 103 should be one of the classes you see.

Writing and Running Code - Anaconda

Finally (!) we will be using the Anaconda distribution of Python for this semester. The Anaconda package comes with several development environments and other features that are useful to us.

Starting up

See Installing Anaconda and Spyder for information.

Web Pages Of Interest

• Most course information is at http://classes.pratt.duke.edu/EGR103S22/.
• The discussion board is at https://edstem.org/.
• Grades will mainly be published at https://sakai.duke.edu and you will also occasionally turn labs in there.
• You will also turn work in on https://www.gradescope.com/ as noted above.
• Learn more about Zoom at https://oit.duke.edu/what-we-do/applications/zoom-meetings
• Want free stuff? Take a tour of the things you can download for free by virtue of being a Duke student at https://oit.duke.edu/category/software

Getting Starter Files

• Each week, I will give you access to at least the lab skeleton. This week, there are actually several files you will need. Here's how to get them:
  • Go to https://duke.app.box.com/v/EGR103S22public which is my shared EGR 103 Box folder for this semester.
  • Click the ... menu at the far right of Lab01Files and select Download.
  • Click the Download link at the top right. Box will download the files. Depending on whether you are logged into Box, it might give you the opportunity to log in. You do not need to.
  • Windows machines will download a zip file to open while macOS will open a folder to open.
    • If on Windows, double-click the zip file; from there you should be able to select and extract the Lab01Files folder. In the "Copy" dialog window that comes up, click the triple dot box to the right of the "Copy to:" box and then navigate to your Box/EGR103S22 folder. That is where you will want to put the Lab01Files folder.
    • If on macOS, just move the folder that you downloaded into your Box/EGR103S22 folder.

  After the folder is copied and synchronized, the folder should get a green check.

  • Open the zip file, then copy the Lab01files folder from the zip file into your Box/EGR103S22 folder. After it is copied and synchronized, the folder should get a green check.
  • Now open the Box/EGR103S22/Lab01Files folder and make a copy of the Lab1Sample_S22.tex file; call the new file lab1.tex.
  • Next, in the Overleaf window, which should be pointing to your EGR103LAB01 project, click the upload icon (third from the left above the file list).
  • Drag all the files from your Box/EGR103S22/Lab01Files folder into the available space for uploading files and upload the files. This will copy them into Overleaf.
  • Now you need to tell Overleaf to change the primary tex document. Click the Menu button at the top left of Overleaf. In the main document drop down, select the lab1.tex file.
  • Finally, you need to recompile your project since the main document changed. Click the Recompile button and the lab skeleton will compile.

Getting Work Done

See the page How To Get Work Done

Troubleshooting

Python Errors

If you encounter problems in Python, or you are new to programming, you may find it useful to check Python:Common Mistakes for help.

Questions

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