Computer Science DOS Command Line/MAC Terminal Assignment

LAB: DOS COMMAND LINE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
This lab is an introductory guide to the command line interface and data networking. You will
engage with the DOS command line and execute fundamental commands. These activities will
gradually unveil the underlying mechanisms that drive your computer and network operations.
To complete this lab, you must be able to copy images of your screen. One way to do this is
through the Snipping Tool in Windows.
Sure, here’s a brief guide on how to use the Snipping Tool in Windows:
Opening the Snipping Tool:
1. Click the Start button (or press the Windows key).
2. In the search bar, type Snipping Tool and click on the application when it appears in the
search results.
Capturing a New Image:
1. Once the Snipping Tool is open, click on New.
2. Your screen will fade; you can click and drag your cursor to select the area you want to
capture. Release the mouse button to capture the screenshot.
3. The Snipping Tool window will reappear with your screenshot. You can use the pen and
highlighter tools to annotate the screenshot.
Copying the Image into a Document:
1. With the screenshot open in the Snipping Tool, click on the Edit menu, then select Copy.
2. Open the document where you want to paste the screenshot.
3. Right-click at the location where you want the image, and select Paste (or press Ctrl+V).
The screenshot will be pasted into your document.
Remember, practice makes perfect. So, don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time. Keep
trying, and you’ll get the hang of it. Happy snipping!
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
NOW, ON WITH THE FUN

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DOS BASICS
In the “Good Old Days,” when we opened our computers, there was no welcoming screen—what
we know as the Graphical User Interface (GUI—produced gooey). Instead, we were put into the
operating system interface that looked like this.
It is valuable to our understanding of computers to sometimes step back in time and do the things
we commonly do in the GUIs of today in the command line of yesterday. This lab is built to give
you an understanding of how to perform some common GUI tasks in the command line. You
may even be surprised to see how the command line (or DOS) reveals more information than the
GUIs display.

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1. DATE/TIME STAMPING
For your first exercise, you will learn how to put a Date/Time Stamp on your page. This is only
first because every screenshot you complete during this lab will require a data/time stamp.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 1: What was the function of the /t switch in the command extension?
Question 2: How were you able to determine the function of the /t switch in the command
extension

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2. COMMAND LINE HELP-1
In the answer to question 2 above there is no wrong way to get the right answer (other than to say
that you just guessed). But DOS does provide a very easy method. It is the embedded help
command.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Help
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 3: What does the Color command do?
Question 4: What does the DIR command do?

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3. COMMAND LINE HELP-2
To find out the syntax of a command, you can type Help followed by the command you want.
To demonstrate, let’s use the DIR command from Question 4.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Help DIR
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 5: What does the /w function do?
Question 6: Try the DIR then the DIR /Q? What is the difference in the two outputs?

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4. IPCONFIG
Knowing your basic IP information can be very helpful at times. You can see this on your
computer by looking up the configuration.
At the command line prompt type the following:
ipconfig
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 7: What is your IP address (IPv4 or IPv6)?
Question 8: What is the Address of your Default gateway?

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5. PING
Ping is a command that tells you if a host is reachable. It sends a packet and awaits for the reply,
then tell you how long it takes. This allows you to diagnose latency or packet lost issues.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Ping (insert your default gateway IP here)
Ping google.com
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 9: What were the time statistics (fill in the table)?
Destination Maximum Minimum Average
Default Gateway
Google
Question 10: Why did Google take longer than your default gateway?

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6. TRACE ROUTE
While Ping gives you the traffic statistics, Trace Route will take you through the entire path to
the destination.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Tracert google.com
Tracert google.com (yes you need to complete 2 trace routes)
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 11: Did the traceroute follow the exact same path in both traces?
Question 12: If you saw variances in the two traces, explain why. If you did not, explain why
you might see differences.

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7. DIRECTORY TASK-1
All the director commands are now completed in the GUIs. But they all have their foundations in
the DOS. For this task, we will look at moving between directories. In the GUIs, it is point-and-
click. first, you look at the GUI version of the directory tree and click on the folder. Let’s first
look at the directory tree in DOS.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
Tree (wait for it to end—it will be longer than you are used to seeing)
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 13: What did you notice about the tree structure in DOS?
Question 14: What can you appreciate about the GUI after seeing this?

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8. DIRECTORY TASK-2
Making a director in GUI is a task of selecting the folder and clicking on Add Folder. In DOS
you need to move to the correct directory, then use the make directory command.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
DIR /w
MD ABC-test
DIR /w
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 15: Did you see your new directory on the second DIR?
Question 16: Why or why not?

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9. DIRECTORY TASK-3
Switching between directories is a simple task GUI it is not too much different in DOS if you
know the commands with the exception of not being able to point and click of course.
At the command line prompt, type the following:
CD ABC-Test
DIR /w
Time /t
Date /t
Paste your Screen shot here:
Question 17: How many files do you see in the new drive?
Question 18: How is the prompt different after the change?

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10. DIRECTORY TASK-4
Often, we need to remove directories as well. To do this, we use the remove directory command.
Always be very careful as removing or deleting is permanent in DOS. Also, keep in mind that
you cannot delete the directory if you are in it so you must change your directory before deleting.
Try using CD .. that will back up out one level in the directory tree.
For this lab we are not going to have you remove the test folder. If you would like to do this on
your own, you can by going to the Windows Explorer and removing the folder.
Question 19: In brief words, what have you learned from this lab?