Operating Systems I

Course Name: Operating Systems I

Course Number: 444, Winter 2121 (Sections 400 & 401)

Credits: 4

Instructor names: Kevin McGrath

Instructor email: [email protected]

Teaching Assistant name and contact info: TBA

Course Description

Introduction to operating system implementation and concurrent programming.

Prerequisites: CS 344 with C or better and (CS 271 [C] or ECE 271 [C])

Communication

Please post all course-related questions in the Teams channel as their own topic so that the whole class may benefit from our conversation. Please contact me privately for matters of a personal nature. We will strive to reply to course-related questions within 48 business hours. We will strive to return your assignments and grades for course activities to you within one week of the due date. You can find a detailed communication policy as well as information on Slack Office Hours on the Course Homepage.

Note: Students in one section of this course may be required to interact with teachers, teaching assistants, and students in other concurrent sections of this same course.

Course Credits

This course combines approximately 120 hours of instruction, online activities, and assignments for 4 credits.

Technical Assistance

If you experience any errors or problems while in your online course, contact 24-7 Canvas Support through the Help link within Canvas. If you experience computer difficulties, need help downloading a browser or plug-in, or need assistance logging into a course, contact the IS Service Desk for assistance. You can call (541) 737-8787 or visit the IS Service Desk online.

Learning Resources

Required (free): Allen Downey, The Little Book of Semaphores

Required (free): Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau, Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces

For C, the following material available free online.

•    The Linux man-pages project for documentation of system calls and C library functions

•    Jens Gustedt. Modern C, Manning Publications. 2019, ISBN 978-1-61729-581-2

Note: Check with the OSU Beaver Store for up-to-date information for the term you enroll (OSU Beaver Store website or 800-595-0357). If you purchase course materials from other sources, be very careful to obtain the correct ISBN.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the course, students will be able to…

1.    Justify the need for a multi-programmed OS and explain the general structure of such systems.

2.    Select system calls for appropriate uses.

3.    Compare and contrast the process and thread abstractions and select an appropriate abstraction.

4.    Assess and solve possible issues related to concurrent execution.

5.    Explain the file abstraction and system level I/O.

6.    Compare and choose mechanisms for inter-process communication.

7.    Write software by applying appropriate system programming principles and techniques.

Evaluation of Student Performance

Final grades will be comprised of the following weighted components:

•    60% 4 Programming Assignments

•    40% Final Paper

Letter Grade

Course Policies

Late Work Policy

All assignments must be submitted on Canvas, according to the posted due date and time.

All assignments will be accepted within 48 hours of the due date, with the following penalties

•    Assignments submitted within 24 hours of the due date will be accepted with a penalty of 5% of the grade.

•    Assignments submitted within 48 hours of the due date will be accepted with a penalty of 10% of the grade.

•    Assignments submitted later than 48 hours of the due date will not be accepted without a documented medical or family emergency and will receive a grade of 0.

Note the late penalties are off of the total possible points, not the points you earn. E.g., if an assignment has 160 points, then a late submission within 24 hours of the due date will be deducted 8 points.

The Final Exam cannot be submitted later than the posted due date.

Incompletes

Incomplete (I) grades will be granted only in emergency cases (usually only for a death in the family, major illness or injury, or birth of your child), and if the student has turned in 70% of the points possible (in other words, usually everything but the final exam). If you are having any difficulty that might prevent you completing the coursework, please don’t wait until the end of the term; let me know right away.

Statement Regarding Religious Accommodation

Oregon State University is required to provide reasonable accommodations for employee and student sincerely held religious beliefs. It is incumbent on the student making the request to make the faculty member aware of the request as soon as possible prior to the need for the accommodation. See the Religious Accommodation Process for Students.

Guidelines for a Productive and Effective Online Classroom

(Adapted from Dr. Susan Shaw, Oregon State University)

Students are expected to conduct themselves in the course (e.g., on discussion boards, email) in compliance with the university’s regulations regarding civility. Civility is an essential ingredient for academic discourse. All communications for this course should be conducted constructively, civilly, and respectfully. Differences in beliefs, opinions, and approaches are to be expected. In all you say and do for this course, be professional. Please bring any communications you believe to be in violation of this class policy to the attention of your instructor.

Active interaction with peers and your instructor is essential to success in this online course, paying particular attention to the following:

•    Unless indicated otherwise, please complete the readings and view other instructional materials for each week before participating in the discussion board.

•    Read your posts carefully before submitting them.

•    Be respectful of others and their opinions, valuing diversity in backgrounds, abilities, and experiences.

•    Challenging the ideas held by others is an integral aspect of critical thinking and the academic process.

Please word your responses carefully, and recognize that others are expected to challenge your ideas.

A positive atmosphere of healthy debate is encouraged.

Expectations for Student Conduct

Student conduct is governed by the university’s policies, as explained in the Student Conduct Code (https://beav.es/codeofconduct). Students are expected to conduct themselves in the course (e.g., on discussion boards, email postings) in compliance with the university's regulations regarding civility.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a character-driven commitment to honesty, doing what is right, and guiding others to do what is right.

Oregon State University Ecampus students and faculty have a responsibility to act with integrity in all of our educational work, and that integrity enables this community of learners to interact in the spirit of trust, honesty, and fairness across the globe.

Academic misconduct, or violations of academic integrity, can fall into seven broad areas, including but not limited to: cheating; plagiarism; falsification; assisting; tampering; multiple submissions of work; and unauthorized recording and use.

It is important that you understand what student actions are defined as academic misconduct at Oregon State University. The OSU Libraries offer a tutorial on academic misconduct, and you can also refer to the OSU Student Code of Conduct and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standard’s website for more information. More importantly, if you are unsure if something will violate our academic integrity policy, ask your professors, GTAs, academic advisors, or academic integrity officers.

TurnItIn

Your instructor may ask you to submit one or more of your writings to Turnitin, a plagiarism prevention service. Your assignment content will be checked for potential plagiarism against Internet sources, academic journal articles, and the papers of other OSU students, for common or borrowed content. Turnitin generates a report that highlights any potentially unoriginal text in your paper. The report may be submitted directly to your instructor or your instructor may elect to have you submit initial drafts through Turnitin, and you will receive the report allowing you the opportunity to make adjustments and ensure that all source material has been properly cited. Papers you submit through Turnitin for this or any class will be added to the OSU Turnitin database and may be checked against other OSU paper submissions. You will retain all rights to your written work. For further information, visi Academic Integrity for Students: Turnitin – What is it?

Statement Regarding Students with Disabilities

Accommodations for students with disabilities are determined and approved by Disability Access Services (DAS). If you, as a student, believe you are eligible for accommodations but have not obtained approval, please contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098 or at http://ds.oregonstate.edu. DAS notifies students and faculty members of approved academic accommodations and coordinates implementation of those accommodations. While not required, students and faculty members are encouraged to discuss details of the implementation of individual accommodations.

Accessibility of Course Materials

All materials used in this course are accessible. If you require accommodations please contact Disability Access Services (DAS).

Additionally, Canvas, the learning management system through which this course is offered, provides a vendor statement certifying how the platform is accessible to students with disabilities.

Tutoring and Writing Assistance

TutorMe is a leading provider of online tutoring and learner support services fully staffed by experienced, trained and monitored tutors. Access TutorMe from within your Canvas course menu.

The Oregon State Online Writing Suite is also available for students enrolled in Ecampus courses.

Ecampus Reach Out for Success

University students encounter setbacks from time to time. If you encounter difficulties and need assistance, it’s important to reach out. Consider discussing the situation with an instructor or academic advisor. Learn about resources that assist with wellness and academic success.

Ecampus students are always encouraged to discuss issues that impact your academic success with the Ecampus Success Team. Email [email protected] to identify strategies and resources that can support you in your educational goals.

•    For mental health:

Learn about counseling and psychological resources for Ecampus students. If you are in immediate crisis, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting OREGON to 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

•    For financial hardship:

Any student whose academic performance is impacted due to financial stress or the inability to afford groceries, housing, and other necessities for any reason is urged to contact the Director of Care for support (541-737-8748).

Student Evaluation of Courses

During Fall, Winter, and Spring term the online Student Evaluation of Teaching system opens to students the Wednesday of week 8 and closes the Sunday before Finals Week. Students receive notification, instructions and the link through their ONID. They may also log into the system via Online Services. Course evaluation results are extremely important and used to help improve courses and the hybrid learning experience for future students. Responses are anonymous (unless a student chooses to “sign” their comments, agreeing to relinquish anonymity) and unavailable to instructors until after grades have been posted. The results of scaled questions and signed comments go to both the instructor and their unit head/supervisor. Anonymous (unsigned) comments go to the instructor only.