CS2413 Labs (Data Structures) — GitHub Workflow & Assignments

Welcome to the CS2413 lab repository.
This repository contains the starter code, lab exercises, and programming assignments for this semester.

The main goals of this repo are:

• Use a consistent workflow for all labs and code assignments
• Help you practice professional software development habits (Git + GitHub)
• Provide a clean structure for compiling and running C programs

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Supported Environment (Required)

To ensure everyone can compile and run the same code successfully, this course officially supports:

✅ Ubuntu Linux (including WSL Ubuntu on Windows)
✅ macOS (Terminal + Xcode Command Line Tools)

❌ Not supported (do not use these for this course):

• Native Windows builds (PowerShell / CMD)
• MinGW / MSVC
• Code::Blocks / Dev-C++

All grading will be done in a Linux-compatible environment.
If your setup is not Ubuntu/macOS, your code may fail even if it works on your machine.

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Required Tools

✅ Ubuntu / WSL Ubuntu (Windows users must use WSL)

Install required packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential git

Verify installation:

gcc --version
make --version
git --version

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✅ macOS (no WSL needed)

Install Apple Command Line Tools:

xcode-select --install

Verify installation:

clang --version
make --version
git --version

Recommended editor: VS Code

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How We Use GitHub in This Course

You will use GitHub for:

• Lab sessions
• Coding assignments
• Submitting your work

Standard workflow (used every week)

1. Fork this repository to your GitHub account
2. Clone your fork to your computer
3. Work in the correct lab folder
4. Commit and push your changes to GitHub

Example:

git add .
git commit -m "lab01: complete two_sum"
git push origin main

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Repository Structure

Each lab is in its own folder (example):

lab00/      -> starter demo (practice Git + compile/run)
lab01/      -> first real lab 
lab02/      -> future labs...

Inside each lab folder, you will typically see:

src/        -> where you write/modify code
tests/      -> runner / verification code
Makefile    -> compile/run commands
README.md   -> lab instructions

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How To Run a Lab

Go into the lab folder first. Example:

cd lab01

Compile + Run (recommended)

make run

Run without self-benchmark (optional)

Some labs include a small self-benchmark for self-comparison only.
To disable it:

make run_nobench

Clean build files

make clean

Notes:

• The self-benchmark is NOT used for grading.
• It is only for self-comparison (e.g., after optimizing your code).

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Submitting Your Work

Your submission is your latest commit pushed to GitHub.

Before you push, always check:

git status

Then submit:

git add .
git commit -m "labXX: complete"
git push origin main

You only need to submit your GitHub repo link for any code assignment.

Updating Your Repo before each session

New labs (lab02, lab03, …) will be released by adding new folders to the course repository.

Your fork will NOT update automatically.

Step 1: Sync your fork on GitHub

• Go to your forked repo on GitHub

• Click Sync fork → Update branch

Step 2: Update your local repo (your laptop)

• Open Ubuntu/macOS Terminal inside your repo folder and run:

git pull

After that, you should see the new lab folder (for example lab02/) in your local files.

Academic Integrity

You are encouraged to:

• discuss ideas
• ask questions
• help others understand concepts

You are NOT allowed to:

• copy another student’s code
• share your code publicly
• submit code that is not your own work

If you are unsure what is allowed, ask the instructor/TA before submitting.

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Troubleshooting

“gcc / make not found”

Ubuntu/WSL:

sudo apt install -y build-essential

macOS:

xcode-select --install

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“fatal error: xxx.h: No such file or directory”

You are likely compiling in the wrong folder or missing the correct include path.

Try:

cd labXX
make clean
make run

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“git push” authentication issues

GitHub does not allow password login for command-line pushes.
Use one of the following:

• GitHub web login prompt, or
• Personal Access Token (PAT), or
• SSH keys

We will cover this in class if needed.

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FQA

1) Which Ubuntu version should I install?

Recommended: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (stable and widely used)

Other LTS versions are also OK (ex: 24.04 LTS), but we recommend 22.04 LTS to reduce unexpected issues.

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2) My Ubuntu (WSL) does not open the first time

If Ubuntu fails to open, you may need to enable required Windows features first:

✅ Turn on these Windows Features:

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Virtual Machine Platform

After enabling them, restart your computer and try opening Ubuntu again.

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3) Git name has “too many arguments” error

This happens because your folder name contains a space. You folder should be "cs2413" or "cs-2413", not "cs 2413"

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4) Error: config.lock failed: Operation not permitted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTw50U9sMO8

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Copy/Paste in WSL Ubuntu

If Ctrl+V does not work, use Ctrl+Shift+V or right-click to paste. Recommended: run Ubuntu inside Windows Terminal for normal copy/paste.

Open Windows Terminal, then type: wsl

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Contact / Help

If you run into setup issues, come a few minutes early to lab/class or ask during office hours.