CS 145 Lecture 0 – Accessing the JDK, Eclipse, and EGit
In CS 145, we make extensive use of certain software. You’ll need to get access to this software in one of three ways: 1) by installing it on your personal machine, 2) by heading to university computer labs, or 3) by remotely logging in to virtual machines hosted by the university.
Installing
Installing the software yourself is the most empowering of your alternatives, but it requires a machine. This machine can run any major operating system. I freely switch between Macintosh and Linux on a daily basis. Install the following software. If you have any trouble, please post on the course discussion board rather than email.
JDK
The Java Development Kit turns your Java code into an executable form. Many of us already have the Java Runtime Environment installed on our machines, but this only runs existing executables. You’ll need the full JDK, which you can download from Oracle. Either JDK 7 or 8 is fine.
Eclipse
The Eclipse code editor. One could use Notepad or TextEdit to write code, but specialized tools make generating and running code simpler. (They can also cause problems, but overcoming those is part of our learning.) After the JDK is installed, download Eclipse. The Eclipse IDE for Java Developers is the flavor I recommend, though others are probably fine. Eclipse doesn’t really need to be installed; just unarchive it.
EGit
Your work in this class will be stored on Bitbucket, a website that hosts coding projects. To work with your Bitbucket repository within Eclipse, you’ll need the EGit plugin for Eclipse.
Open Eclipse and select Help / Eclipse Marketplace. Search for and install EGit.
Labs
There are numerous computer labs on campus that have this software installed. Phillips 115 is available to you when no class is meeting. Phillips 107 is always available. You may also use the General Access labs.
Virtual Machines
If you’d prefer to use machines which have this software is already installed and configured, you can access a virtual machine. Learning and Technology Services (LTS) has installed the required software on these virtual machines; you must simply log in.
This option requires an Internet connection.