A neat project might be to build a client/server network from the ground up. Involving students in the hardware and software side of computing (including cabling) can be a lot more exciting than simply programming. Possibly give them a simple programming assignment to go along with it, along the lines of testing the network or interacting with a database on a remote computer. The first time I crimped my first cable and brought up the interface with a successful ping, I was hooked. I truly believe that programming lacks excitement until the network is brought into the picture.
I agree that this is a very good thing in general. One of the problems I see with Linux being so touted is that organizational users feel more comfortable using Linux now, not because they have tested it and find it to be a superior operating system, but frequently because it is so popular. Possibly if there were more press on BSD variants, those same people would see how stable they are and make a more informed decision.
Even though Clifford Stol used that method in the infamous Cuckoo's Egg, operating systems seemed to have progressed well beyond that type of jerry-rigging. With the potential for autoarchiving log files, automating their conversion into different formats, and not too mention the cheap availability of older PCs that can serve as independent and secure log servers, a dot matrix seems to be a resolution only for the most paranoid sysadmin. (Of course, dot matrix printouts do still retain their age old hacker appeal.)
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A neat project might be to build a client/server network from the ground up. Involving students in the hardware and software side of computing (including cabling) can be a lot more exciting than simply programming. Possibly give them a simple programming assignment to go along with it, along the lines of testing the network or interacting with a database on a remote computer. The first time I crimped my first cable and brought up the interface with a successful ping, I was hooked. I truly believe that programming lacks excitement until the network is brought into the picture.
I agree that this is a very good thing in general. One of the problems I see with Linux being so touted is that organizational users feel more comfortable using Linux now, not because they have tested it and find it to be a superior operating system, but frequently because it is so popular. Possibly if there were more press on BSD variants, those same people would see how stable they are and make a more informed decision.
Even though Clifford Stol used that method in the infamous Cuckoo's Egg, operating systems seemed to have progressed well beyond that type of jerry-rigging. With the potential for autoarchiving log files, automating their conversion into different formats, and not too mention the cheap availability of older PCs that can serve as independent and secure log servers, a dot matrix seems to be a resolution only for the most paranoid sysadmin. (Of course, dot matrix printouts do still retain their age old hacker appeal.)