Minimum Resources Required 

Students must have adequate computing resources able to do the following:

  • You must have a Colorado State University eIdentity (eID), before you can be installed into the CS415 Canvas system. If you don’t have one, visit the netID web page. You will not be able to take part in the course until you have an eID.
  • Students must be able to use Microsoft Teams. Students will be added to the CS415 Sp2025 Team. Please check your CSU email to accept the invitation to join.
  • Access the class Canvas page. Students must use a browser installed on their computer that is compatible with Canvas. Browsers are generally available for free.
  • To keep things simple for students, we will use Canvas for (1) disseminating slides, papers, and videos, (2) submitting exams, and (3) maintaining a detailed calendar of activities and deadlines. The schedule on the course website will only show the topics being covered every week. Projects will be submitted in GitHub.
  • Create, compile, and run Java programs. Any up-to-date personal computer or workstation should be adequate for Java development. The Java Development Environment is available for free on the internet. Students typically use the VSCode or IntelliJ IDEs.
  • Lectures will be recorded and made available on Echo360 via Canvas links.
  • Office hours will be held in person in Room 468. However, for distance students and those who can’t meet in person, Microsoft Teams will also be used. Install the Microsoft Teams app on our phone or desktop. Use your-eid@colostate.edu and password to log in. You can chat using text, audio, and video. You can also use Teams in a web browser. Go to login.microsoftonline.com and use your-eid@colostate.edu and password to log in. Click on Apps to locate the Teams app.

Canvas Information & Technical Support 

Canvas is the place where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

The Technical Requirements page identifies the browsers, operating systems, and plugins that work best with Canvas. If you are new to Canvas quickly review the Canvas Student Orientation materials.

Connecting to CS Machines 

Using departmental machines is optional. You can do all your work on your personal machines. You can choose to connect to departmental machines to check whether or not your programs will run here.

Distance students, your CS account login should be the same as your netID. The password is initially set to be your 9-digit student id number.

Click https://sna.cs.colostate.edu/remote-connection/ for details on connecting remotely to department machines. There are several linux machines named after state capitals (e.g., salem.cs.colostate.edu, denver, etc) that you can connect to. You must have an ssh client on your machine. For windows, you can install putty or Bitvise SSH client. Linux machines and macs come with ssh. CSU GlobalProtect is required to connect to the CS machines. You can transfer files from departmental machines to yours using sftp or the same Bitvise SSH client.

Software Tools 

You will need several tools in this course:

  • Java IDE: Edit, compile, and run Java programs (REQUIRED). You can install IntelliJ, VS Code, or Eclipse.
  • GitHub: The instructor will provide access to the cs415sp26 organization in which each project team will have their own private repos.
  • Coverage tools
  • More tools will be added here or to course assignments based on the topics being covered.

Project