CS 3733 Operating Systems

Syllabus Fall 1997

Instructor: Dr. Kay A. Robbins
Office: 3.02.01C SB
Phone: 458-5543
Email: krobbins@runner.utsa.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-10:50 am and by appointment
Class Times: MW 2:00-3:15 pm in 3.01.10 BB

Texts:

  • Modern Operating Systems by Tanenbaum
  • Practical UNIX Programming (PUP) by Robbins and Robbins

    Prerequisites: CS 2734, CS 2413, CS 3233

    Course Objectives:

  • To understand fundamental operating systems concepts.
  • To become more familiar with UNIX.

    Course Content:
    We will be using the SUN workstation laboratory in room 3.02.04SB. The sound and graphics capability of these machines may be used for some of the required projects, and it will be necessary to do these in the lab.

    The emphasis of the course is on process management, but we will cover all of Part 1 of Tanenbaum with selected topics from Part 2. Most of our specific examples will come from UNIX, and we will be covering most of chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 12 of PUP as well as some of the project chapters.

    Grading:

  • 25% Midterm (Monday, October 13, 1997)
  • 40% Assignments (programs and problem sets)
  • 35% Final Exam (Thursday, December 11, 1:30 pm - 4:15 pm)

    Scholastic Dishonesty:
    The integrity of a university degree depends on the integrity of the work done for that degree by each student. The University expects a student to maintain a high standard of individual honor in his/her scholastic work.

    In practice, for this course, you may discuss assignments in general terms, but you are not allowed to share any details of actual algorithms or of program code. You may help someone else debug their program as long as you do not start substituting in your own code when there are problems. Turning in a copy of someone else's program, even a copy with extensive changes made to it, is a very serious offense in this course. A student caught with a copy of another student's assignment will be severely dealt with.

    General:
    Friday, October 24, is the last day to drop this course. No make-up exams will be given except for university sanctioned excused absences. If you must miss an exam (for a good reason), it is your responsibility to contact me before the exam, or as soon after the exam as possible. Leave a message at the above number or send me email.

    Attendance in class is not required but students are responsible for all material covered in class. The class web page is /classes/cs3733f97/overview.html. You should put a netscape bookmark at that page for easy access. Class information and assignments will be posted on that page. You are responsible for reading the web page.

    Late assignments will not be accepted. Hand in whatever you have on the due date (before midnight) for partial credit. On the top sheet of all assignments handed in there should be a statement indicating exactly what parts of the assignment worked and what parts did not. If something did not work, but you attempted to do it, indicate what you did so that you can get partial credit.

    Revision Date: 8/23/97