Links and Downloads

Web Browser: Chrome OR Firefox

Why you need it: Access Moodle, E 115 website, and course materials

Required: Chrome or Firefox

⚠️ Avoid These Browsers: Opera, Arc, Brave, Edge with Copilot. They have built-in AI that interferes with assignments and makes them not possible to complete properly.

If you are having trouble with one of the browsers, Chrome or Firefox, switch to the other. If you need help troubleshooting an assignment, always indicate to us which browser you are using.

OPTION 1: WINDOWS USERS

Required Software (Install These First)

Microsoft Office (DESKTOP VERSION ONLY)

Why you need it: All Excel assignments
Get it: office.com → Install Microsoft 365 apps
⚠️ Critical: You should not use the online version of Microsoft Office, i.e. “Office 365” to complete assignments for this class. Use the locally installed version.

  • NC State students receive a free copy of Microsoft Office 365, which contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
  • Both Mac and Windows are supported

Quick Install:

  1. Go to office.com (use @ncsu.edu email)
  2. Click “Install apps” → “Microsoft 365 apps”
  3. Run the installer
  4. Done when you can open Excel from your Start menu Video: Installing Office (2 min)

Terminal Access: Choose ONE

Why you need it: UNIX chapters (connecting to Eos)

Recommended: PowerShell (Already on your computer!)

  • Already installed on Windows 10/11
  • No download needed
  • Works great for E 115
  • Find it: Start menu → type “PowerShell”

Alternative: PuTTY (Only if PowerShell doesn’t work)

  • Download PuTTY
  • More clicks, same result
  • Most students prefer PowerShell

File Transfer: Choose ONE

Why you need it: Moving files between your computer and Eos

Recommended: FileZilla

  • Free, visual interface, easy to use
  • Download FileZilla CLIENT
  • ⚠️ Choose “standard” version, NOT “sponsored” (avoid adware!)

Setup in 3 steps:

  1. Open FileZilla → Site Manager (top left icon)
  2. New Site → Enter:
    • Host: remote.eos.ncsu.edu
    • Protocol: SFTP
    • User: your UnityID
    • Leave password blank (it will ask when you connect)
  3. Click “Connect” → enter your Unity password Video: FileZilla Setup (3 min)

Alternative: Mount NCSU Drive (Advanced, optional)

  • Makes Eos appear like a regular folder on your PC
  • Requires VPN when off-campus

Windows Mounting

Video to learn how to mount the NCSU Drive on Windows (note this video has no sound).

Once you have connected to campus with VPN, you can access your NCSU Drive space. Here are the steps:

  1. Open a file browser window for “This PC”. You should be able to click on the Windows icon in the lower-left corner and type “This PC”
  2. Near the top of the window, click on Computer, then choose Map network drive.
  3. In the dialog window, choose Z: for the drive letter and enter this path for the folder: \\ncsudrive.ncsu.edu\home\
  4. Select Reconnect at sign-in and Connect using different credentials. Click Finish at the bottom.
  5. Enter wolftech\unityid for my username (where unityid is your actual unity ID) and Unity password. Click OK at the bottom.
  6. After some delay, you should see a file browser window looking at the top of my NCSU Drive file space.

Note: You need to put wolftech\unityID, instead of just unityID. To do this you can click on “More choices” -> “Use a different account” -> then enter the username with the prefix and your Unity password. Make sure you have the prefix!

Text Editor: Choose ONE

Why you need it: HTML/CSS assignments

Recommended: VS Code (Most popular)

Alternative: Notepad++ (Lighter weight)

Git

Why you need it: Version control (GitHub assignment)
Get it: Download Git for Windows

Install tip: Accept all default options during setup

Remote Desktop (Built-in!)

Why you need it: Access campus lab computers remotely
No download needed: Search “Remote Desktop” in Start menu

Your Checklist:

  • [ ] Microsoft Office installed (desktop version)
  • [ ] Firefox installed
  • [ ] PowerShell ready (or PuTTY)
  • [ ] FileZilla configured (or NCSU Drive mounted)
  • [ ] VS Code installed (or Notepad++)
  • [ ] Git installed
  • [ ] Remote Desktop located

Test it: Try connecting to Eos via PowerShell:

ssh unityid@remote.eos.ncsu.edu

(Replace unityid with your actual UnityID)

OPTION 2: MAC USERS

Required Software (Install These First)

Microsoft Office (DESKTOP VERSION ONLY)

Why you need it: All Excel assignments
Get it: office.com → Install Microsoft 365 apps
⚠️ Critical: Use the downloaded version, NOT the web browser version

Quick Install:

  1. Go to office.com (use @ncsu.edu email)
  2. Click “Install apps” → “Microsoft 365 apps”
  3. Run the .pkg installer
  4. Done when you can open Excel from Applications.

Terminal (Already Installed! )

Why you need it: UNIX chapters (connecting to Eos)
Where to find it: Applications → Utilities → Terminal

Or use Spotlight: Cmd+Space → type “Terminal”

File Transfer: Choose ONE

Why you need it: Moving files between your Mac and Eos

FileZilla (sometimes easier — we recommend mounting if possible)

Setup in 3 steps:

  1. Open FileZilla → Site Manager
  2. New Site → Enter:
    • Host: remote.eos.ncsu.edu
    • Protocol: SFTP
    • User: your UnityID
    • Leave password blank
  3. Click “Connect” → enter password

Mac Mounting

To learn how to mount the NCSU Drive on a Mac, you can follow along in the video or read the steps in the knowledge base article:

Video

Knowledge base article

Quick Steps:

  1. Finder → Go menu → Connect to Server (Cmd+K)
  2. Server address: smb://ncsudrive.ncsu.edu/home
  3. Connect as: Registered User
  4. Name: unityid@ncsu.edu

Alternatives:

  • CyberDuck (Similar to FileZilla, Mac-native)
  • Mount NCSU Drive (Makes Eos appear as Finder folder)

Text Editor: Choose ONE

Why you need it: HTML/CSS assignments

Recommended: VS Code (Most popular)

Alternative: BBEdit (Mac-native)

Git (Might Already Be Installed)

Why you need it: Version control (GitHub assignment)

Check first: Open Terminal and type:

git -v

If you see a version number, you’re done!

If not:

Microsoft RDP Client (For Remote Desktop) known as “Windows App”

Why you need it: Access campus lab computers remotely. Windows comes with this automatically; if you have a Mac you’ll need to download it from the App Store.
Get it: Download from App Store

Checklist:

  • [ ] Microsoft Office installed (desktop version)
  • [ ] Firefox installed
  • [ ] Terminal located (already on your Mac!)
  • [ ] FileZilla configured (or alternative)
  • [ ] VS Code installed (or BBEdit)
  • [ ] Git installed/verified
  • [ ] RDP Client installed

Test it: Try connecting to Eos via Terminal (replace with your unityID)

ssh unityid@remote.eos.ncsu.edu

OPTION 3: LINUX USERS

Required Software

Microsoft Office: Use VCL or Lab Computers

Why you need it: Excel assignments
The situation: No native Office for Linux

Your options:

  • Best: Use Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
  • Alternative: Lab computers in LMP 201
  • Not recommended: LibreOffice/OpenOffice (assignments may not work correctly)

Firefox (Probably Already Installed)

Check: Open your application menu and search for Firefox
If not installed: sudo apt install firefox (Ubuntu/Debian)

Terminal (Already There)

Location: Usually Ctrl+Alt+T or Applications menu

File Transfer: FileZilla or Mount

Setup:

  • Host: remote.eos.ncsu.edu
  • Protocol: SFTP
  • User: your UnityID

Or mount NCSU Drive.

Text Editor: VS Code or Gedit

VS Code: Download
Gedit: Usually pre-installed, from https://gedit-text-editor.org/ or sudo apt install gedit

Git (Probably Already Installed!)

Check: git --version
If not: sudo apt install git

Checklist:

  • [ ] VCL access configured OR lab plan for Excel
  • [ ] Firefox ready
  • [ ] Terminal located (Ctrl+Alt+T)
  • [ ] FileZilla configured
  • [ ] Text editor chosen
  • [ ] Git verified

TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ

Common Issues

“I can’t connect to Eos”

  • Check: Are you typing your UnityID correctly?
  • Check: Are you using your Unity password correctly?
  • Try: Reset password at accounts.ncsu.edu

“FileZilla won’t connect”

  • Check: Host is remote.eos.ncsu.edu exactly
  • Try: Leave password field blank, it will prompt you

“I downloaded Office but assignments won’t work”

  • Check: Did you download the desktop apps? (Not using browser version?)
  • Check: Can you open Excel from your Applications/Start menu?
  • If still stuck: Use VCL or lab computers

“My Chromebook isn’t working”

  • Chromebooks aren’t compatible with E 115 required software
  • Solution: Use lab computers in LMP 201
  • Alternative: Borrow a laptop from library (24 hours)

“I need more help”

  • Email: eoshelp@ncsu.edu
  • Visit: ITECS Service Desk (weekdays 8 AM–5 PM)
    • Fitts-Woolard Hall, room 3314
    • Engineering Building I, room 1002
    • 111 Lampe Dr., room 456

“What is mounting?”

What this does: Makes your Eos files appear as a regular folder on your computer
When to use: If you prefer drag-and-drop over FileZilla
Requirement: Must be on campus WiFi OR using VPN

Instead of using FileZilla, you can mount the NCSU Drive to move files more easily between your computer and your E 115 account. You’ll need to be on campus internet or VPN to be able to mount the drive.

Essential Links (Bookmark These!)

BBEdit (Mac): barebones.com/products/bbedit

Firefox: mozilla.org/firefox

FileZilla: filezilla-project.org

VS Code: code.visualstudio.com

Git: git-scm.com

PuTTY (Windows): putty.org

Notepad++ (Windows): notepad-plus-plus.org

FileZilla Setup Instructions

* FileZilla Setup Instructions:

  • Click “Download FileZilla Client” (NOT the Server version!) and choose the standard version. DO NOT DOWNLOAD the “sponsored” file or you may download a package with adware.
  • The site should automatically determine which platform you are using (Windows, Mac, etc.).  Click the download button.
  • Run the installer that was downloaded
    • Make sure you know where the application is being installed to
  • Open the site manager (Top left icon)
  • Click “New Site”
  • Add required information:
    • Host: remote.eos.ncsu.edu
    • Protocol: SFTP
    • Logon Type: Ask for Password
    • User: your unityID
    • Password: blank, application will prompt for password when you connect
  • Optional: Rename the site (Recommended name: NCSU)
  • Click “Connect”
  • Enter Password