Math 253: CalcLab MATLAB Setup

1. Your TA will seat you by teams in groups of four. You will use your NetID and NetID password to login to your CalcLab account. (This is the one you use to login to NEO, open access lab computers, etc.)
   
   
2. Login to your CalcLab account. SINGLE click with the left mouse button on the Foxfire button in the bottom panel. (It is orange and blue, a fox wrapped around the Earth.) This invokes a web browser.
   
   
3. The CalcLab home page is the default home page on your CalcLab account. In the Web address field you should see calclab.math.tamu.edu.
   
   
4. Next, type in the Web address of our class home page, then press Enter. Bookmark this page for ready reference. (Click on Bookmarks, then "Bookmark This Page.")

   http://calclab.math.tamu.edu/~belmonte/2007c_m253.html 

   Click on "MATLAB Assignments and Videos", then on the link "CalcLab Setup" next to "First Lab Day." You are now looking at the electronic version of this piece of paper, replete with links.
   
   
5. Here's how to set up your Linux MATLAB environment on your CalcLab account.
   
   
   • Right-Click on the following Zip file, then select "Save Link As..." In the ensuing dialog box, choose your home directory in the "Save in folder" drop-down box. (Do NOT save the folder on your desktop!)
     • MATLAB_lnx.zip
     
     
   • Open a terminal window. At the command prompt enter "unzip MATLAB_lnx.zip" without the quotes. Wait for the extraction to complete. Then delete the Zip file by typing the command "rm MATLAB_lnx.zip" and pressing Enter.
   
   
6. Invoke MATLAB by SINGLE clicking on the gold hill icon in the bottom panel. Patiently wait while the program loads. When you see "Ready" in the lower left corner of the MATLAB window, type the following in the Command Window panel.

       help r2d
   

   MATLAB displays the following help text:

     R2D converts from radians into degrees.
     Given an object r in radian measure, r2d(r) returns
     the object converted into degree measure.
   

   The r2d command is one that I wrote, so you know the directories where my codes reside are in your path.
   
   
7. Finally, We're going to make your MATLAB interface somewhat simpler.
   • Click on the Desktop menu. Uncheck the Workspace radio button.
   • Repeat, this time unchecking the Command History radio button.
   • You have a Current Directory panel on the left and the main Command Window on the right.
   • Resize the two panels by moving the vertical dividing line between them. (The Current Directory panel can be quite narrow; just enough space to show file names and extensions.)
   • Click on the leftmost toolbar icon to open the MATLAB Editor. Now dock the editor!