How to Install the Tools for the Course on Ubuntu

Question

As per the question I have had nothing but trouble trying to use the virtual versions of the cs50 software, namely the virtual machine crashes runs slowly or just generally feels like my fingernails are being pulled out.

I am using ubuntu (14.04) so the software on the cs50 appliance should run without to much trouble however I have not been able to find any links to what is installed.

My preferred solution would be to install the course software on a multi-boot alongside my existing operating systems, ubuntu / windows 7.

Answer 1

For Ubuntu 14.04

1. sudo apt-get install clang nodejs

2. Set up the cs50 library: https://cs50.readthedocs.io/libraries/cs50/c/

3. Download check50 from: https://github.com/robotmayo/check50

4. Set aliases for check50 and clang in ~/.bashrc http://www.reddit.com/r/cs50/comments/1ujct6/after_using_the_cs50_appliance_i_finally_decided/ceiqkqz

Note: I already had other development tools installed, so I just needed to add clang and nodejs. You may need some other packages.

Answer 2

To configure on 64-bit ubuntu 14.04LTS

Install java

Install LAMP.

Install node.js

Install clang : sudo apt-get install clang

Install CS50 Library :

apt-get install gcc
wget http://mirror.cs50.net/library50/c/library50-c-5.zip
unzip library50-c-5.zip
rm -f library50-c-5.zip
cd library50-c-5
gcc -c -ggdb -std=c99 cs50.c -o cs50.o
ar rcs libcs50.a cs50.o
chmod 0644 cs50.h libcs50.a
mkdir -p /usr/local/include
chmod 0755 /usr/local/include
mv -f cs50.h /usr/local/include
mkdir -p /usr/local/lib
chmod 0755 /usr/local/lib
mv -f libcs50.a /usr/local/lib
cd ..
rm -rf library50-c-5

Download the following folders

1. check50
2. style50
3. render50

Extract(if downloaded as .zip) the above folders and place them in your preferred directory. Let's assume you placed them in ~/Desktop .

Open your ~/.bashrc by typing

gksudo gedit ~/.bashrc

Then add the following lines at the end of the file :

check50() { ~/Desktop/check50/bin/check50 "$@" ;}    
style50() { ~/Desktop/style50/bin/style50 "$@" ;}
export CC=clang
export CFLAGS="-ggdb3 -O0 -std=c99 -Wall -Werror"
export LDLIBS="-lcs50 -lm"

save the file and close it.

Now you can use check50, style50 and make as used in the appliance.

Note : I still haven't encountered the need for render50, you may configure it similarly if the need arises .

Answer 3

I wrote a small BASH script for setting up the appliance programs into existing Ubuntu OS. This script i had wrote, specially to configure my own Ubuntu 14.04 but will work for Raspberry Pi 2 Ubuntu Edition and 13.10(Server Edition) also.

this script will configure/install:

1. check50
2. CS50 Library (C, PHP, Ruby, Python)
3. style50
4. render50
5. openjdk
6. clang
7. nodejs
8. make
9. LAMP Stack
10. phpmyadmin
11. Stanford Portable Library (for pset3 and pset4)

here is the script cs50.sh

Answer 4

I managed to find the answer on the cs50 manual link below:

https://manual.cs50.net/library/

I have only installed the cs50 c library so far but it seems to work.

If installing the rest of the software works as well as the c library an .iso / .img file seems like overkill.

Answer 5

I am using Ubuntu 14.04. Following steps worked for me:

1. sudo apt-get install clang
   sudo apt-get install nodejs

2. sudo su

   install cs50 library for Debian/Ubuntu from: https://manual.cs50.net/library/

3. download check50 from:

   https://www.dropbox.com/s/89awhsta1qbqfnp/check50.zip

4. copy check50.zip in your cs50 course folder and unzip it.

5. Your check should work perfectly.

To check your problem with check50:
For hello.c run following

nodejs check50/SOURCES/opt/check50/bin/check50.js 2014/x/pset1/hello hello.c

For more details see this link (you may need to replace node with nodejs. If you run into trouble with check50 just make sure path for check50.js and your hello.c is correct).

Answer 6

I don't know if it's the best way, but maybe we can improve it or something until we find a better solution

1. Set up the cs50 library https://manual.cs50.net/library/

then run this command to edit this shell script that bash runs whenever a terminal is opened

sudo gedit ~/.bashrc

and add the following code to the bottom

function mkcs50(){    
    gcc $1.c -I/usr/local/include -L/usr/local/lib -lcs50 -o $1    
    echo gcc $1.c -I/usr/local/include -L/usr/local/lib -lcs50 -o $1    
}

then open a new terminal, this allows you to use a new function on your terminal as follows

mkcs50 hello