Arslan Khan

CMPSC 473 - Operating Systems

Course Information

We will study design and implement computer operating systems; manage various system resources: processes, memory, processors, files, input/output devices.

Timing:
Section 1: Tu Th 12:05PM - 1:20PM
Section 2: Tu Th 1:35PM - 2:50PM

Location:
ECoRE Bldg 028

Prerequisites:

  • CMPSC311
  • CMPEN331
  • C Programming

Not required, but highly recommended:

  • Linux
  • GDB debugger

Course Code Repository

All course materials, including example code, assignments, and supplementary resources, are available in the official course repository:

https://github.com/Arslan8/operating-systems-course

Students are encouraged to regularly check the repository for updates, reference materials, and code examples relevant to lectures and assignments.

Schedule

Week Topic Resources
Week 1 Introduction & Logistics
Deep C dive
Resources
Week 2 Deep C dive
ELF, Loaders, LibC & Memory Allocators
Details
Week 3 ELF, Loaders, LibC & Memory Allocators Details
Week 4 Bash & Debugging Details
Week 5 Kernel and Userspace Details
Week 6 Userspace-Kernel Interface Details
Week 7 Processes & Threads Details
Week 8 Processes & Threads Details
Week 9 Spring Break Details
Week 10 Review & Midterm Details
Week 11 Concurrency Details
Week 12 Concurrency Details
Week 13 Virtualization (Memory) Details
Week 14 Virtualization (Memory) Details
Week 15 Virtualization (CPU) Details
Week 16 Kernel Programming - eBPF Details
Week 17 Review & Finals Details

Assignments

  • Assignment 1: Deep C Dive
  • Assignment 2: Malloc
  • Assignment 3: Mini Bash
  • Assignment 4: Concurrency
  • Assignment 5 (Bonus): Scheduling

Exams

There will be per-module Canvass quizzes on each section. Besides these, we will have:

  • Midterm
  • Final Exam

AI Usage Policy

Students are permitted to use Generative AI (GenAI) tools as part of their coursework. However, if a student chooses to do so, it is their responsibility to verify the accuracy of any information or claims produced by the AI. Any errors, hallucinations, or misleading outputs from such tools remain the sole responsibility of the student. For homework assignments, students are required to submit relevant chat logs or interactions with the GenAI system along with their work. These logs should clearly show how the tool was used in the completion of the assignment. Students should not rely on GenAI tools as an “answering oracle.” Instead, these tools are to be used as helpful assistants to support learning, research, and problem-solving efforts, not as a substitute for the student’s own understanding and work.

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