====== Linux Options ======

In order of preference:

  - Use the Linux workstations set up in EB 424-425 (Analog Lab).
  - <del>Use the Linux workstations set up in EB 423 (Digital Lab) //**during open times**//.</del>
  - Use a Linux VM image on a flash drive (specs: 128 GB, USB 3, 100 MB/second access speed). You can then plug the flash drive into a Windows or Mac computer that has VMware installed.
  - Use your own personal computer to run a Linux VM if you have at least 60 GB of drive space for VMware and the Linux image. If you don't have 60 GB of space, you can use a flash drive for the VM image as described in the previous option.
  - Run Linux native on your personal computer

If you need to install Linux, use Ubuntu 22.04. Do not use the VM image from the 330 website, although the [[https://byu-cpe.github.io/ecen330/setup/vm/| VM setup instructions]] may be helpful to you.

In all cases, you will need access to a ZYBO board. The Analog and Digital Labs have ZYBO boards near a workstation. **Do not move bare ZYBO boards between the labs.** The Analog Lab only has a few laser tag kits (with ZYBO boards) in the back of the room that can be shared for testing and pass off.

**When connecting a ZYBO board to a host computer, please make sure not to disconnect the USB cable from the board micro connector (the small connector). Please connect/disconnect the big end of the USB cable. The micro-USB connector on the ZYBO board is very fragile and is nearly impossible to repair.**

**Finally, it is the student's responsibility to backup their files. If you lose files and are unable to restore from a backup of those files, there is nothing that I can do.**  For those using the VM, the easiest thing to do is to take regular snapshots of the VM and to store those snapshots in a secure location. VMs do get corrupted from time to time and it is usually an easy matter to restore your VM (and the filesystem) from a previously-saved snapshot.