Right or wrong, I usually start the year off by having the students install the OS on their lab workstations. It is a hassle, but I think it helps. Some people

Right or wrong, I usually start the year off by having the students install the OS on their lab workstations. It is a hassle, but I think it helps. Some people need more help than others, some hit the ground running having had prior experience. They'll install Python libs, various software packages, various types of software packages (from OS repo, Java, WINE, github, etc.) I try to cover the most common cases. They install Windows in a VM x2 (XP and Win7), and then install some flaky old Windows software that only likes to run in XP (PLC software), then they'll make the hardware work through the VM. Nearly everything we do could be done from the CL or from a GUI, but disseminating the instructions is accomplished most quickly using the command line.