What are the people taking this class going to be doing with Linux?
The requirements are different for people who are going to be doing things like programming on Linux from those who are going to be using Linux for document processing, email, and games. Also, is it going to be their own private machine (so they have to worry about backups) or a shared machine of some sort (so they won't)?
For non-programmers, mainly:
- logging in
- passwords
- starting programs like browsers and office suites
- basic file organization and permissions
For programmers, you'll also need to cover:
- shell and basic shell programming
- more advanced file system organization and permissions
You might want to cover installation of new software and updates.
For both, you might want to cover backup strategies.