The Redbook

A survival guide for CS PhD students at Stanford. The Redbook is the attempt of a few PHD students to pass on bits of wisdom and frank advice to newer students in the hope that the next generation avoids their missteps. It lives online at http://github.com/austenmc/theredbook.

People

Contacts at the Computer Science department:

• Jay Subramanian [email protected]

Historical editing team, available to support the current Redbook team:

• Austen McDonald [email protected]
• Ankita Kejriwal [email protected]

Printing

Printing The Redbook is your duty to the next incoming class! Follow these instructions and feel free to contact the historical editing team above if you have problems.

Let xxxx be the current year.

1. Collect image asset files:

   • xxxx/xxxx-redbook-halftitlepage.pdf
   • xxxx/xxxx-redbook-titlepage.pdf
   • xxxx/xxxx.redbook.jpg
   • xxxx/xxxx.redbook.spine.jpg
   • graphics/redbook.back.jpg
   • Have we run out of these assets? Contact Austen [email protected].

2. Update the .tex file:

   • Update the .tex file to have the current year everywhere appropriate.
   • Update Section 6.2 regarding who supported the Redbook (likely the Computer Forum).
   • Send last year's PDF to Jay in the CS PhD Office to proofread and let you know of any changes to CS Dept or Stanford University policies.
   • Ask for feedback on The Redbook from students in previous years (both first-years from the previous years and later-year students).
   • Be sure to keep the book short - its conciseness is one of its founding principles!

3. Compile the .tex file:

   • pdflatex theredbook.tex
   • pdflatex theredbook.tex
   • Yes, twice :)

4. Ask PhD office how many incoming PhD students there are this year.

5. Ask whether Computer Forum will pay for the Redbook printing, and how many copies they would like (usually 3).

6. Print at <printtopress.com> with enough copies for all the incomming students and the Computer Forum.

7. Give out Redbooks during CS PhD orientation.