ISEDJ

Information Systems Education Journal

Volume 16

V16 N6 Pages 31-38

December 2018

Server on a USB Port: A custom environment for teaching systems administration using the Raspberry Pi Zero

Michael Black
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688, USA

Rick Green
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688, USA


Abstract: For students seeking careers not related to the computer sciences, the task of installation, configuration and maintenance of software on business class systems may be an essential skill. Dedicated computers are essential to these kinds of courses, but the constraints of university computer labs prohibit their use. Other solutions exist, but require more time to configure and require more computer skills than are typically found in students seeking these careers. The Raspberry Pi computer, introduced in 2012, has been used with some success for this purpose. However, its portability is impaired by the need for external peripherals to make it work, such as a keyboard, mouse, and display. The Raspberry Pi can utilize a laptop for these peripherals, but this requires some additional effort. The recently released Raspberry Pi Zero eliminates much of that effort.

Keywords: teaching material, Linux, Raspberry Pi, system administration, server applications

Download this article: ISEDJ - V16 N6 Page 31.pdf

Recommended Citation: Black, M., Green, R. (2018). Server on a USB Port: A custom environment for teaching systems administration using the Raspberry Pi Zero. Information Systems Education Journal, 16(6) pp 31-38. http://isedj.org/2018-16/ ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of EDSIGCON 2017)