Operating Systems
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Status
- Under development
Note: this course is still being designed and calibrated; the page content is for reference and does not represent the final teaching version.
Syllabus
Course Overview
Operating Systems combines abstractions with runnable kernel experiments: processes, threads, memory, file systems, devices, interrupts, concurrency, and virtualization are learned through implementation and debugging. The course emphasizes isolation, privilege, resource control, and failure boundaries in security contexts.
This is a core systems foundation for system security, virtualization, forensics, and embedded security.
Prerequisites
- Computer organization, assembly language, and systems programming.
- Familiarity with C or Rust, debuggers, and command-line tools.
- Understanding of basic data structures and concurrency issues.
Learning Outcomes
- Implement or modify key OS subsystems.
- Explain process, virtual memory, file-system, and device abstractions.
- Debug concurrency, memory, and performance problems.
- Analyze security implications of isolation, privilege, and resource control.
- Present design, bugs, and performance evidence clearly in lab reports.
Course Format
- Two meetings per week: one for core concepts and one for labs, paper discussion, or project review.
- The course proceeds over 16 weeks, each with a checkable assignment, lab, or project milestone.
- Reproducibility is required: code, configuration, data, lab logs, and reports must be reviewable by staff or peers.
Weekly Plan
Kernel structure, boot, and debugging
Boot the teaching kernel, set up debugging, and implement the first syscall.
Kernel structure, boot, and debugging: lab and review
Boot the teaching kernel, set up debugging, and implement the first syscall. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Processes, threads, and scheduling
Implement a scheduling or synchronization lab.
Processes, threads, and scheduling: lab and review
Implement a scheduling or synchronization lab. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Virtual memory and address spaces
Complete a page-table, page-fault, or memory-mapping lab.
Virtual memory and address spaces: lab and review
Complete a page-table, page-fault, or memory-mapping lab. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Concurrency, locks, and deadlock
Locate and fix a kernel concurrency bug.
Concurrency, locks, and deadlock: lab and review
Locate and fix a kernel concurrency bug. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
File systems and persistence
Implement file-system functionality and test crash consistency.
File systems and persistence: lab and review
Implement file-system functionality and test crash consistency. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Devices, interrupts, and I/O
Analyze performance and failure modes of a driver path.
Devices, interrupts, and I/O: lab and review
Analyze performance and failure modes of a driver path. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Isolation, privilege, and container basics
Experiment with namespaces, cgroups, or capabilities.
Isolation, privilege, and container basics: lab and review
Experiment with namespaces, cgroups, or capabilities. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
OS design review and security boundaries
Submit the final kernel lab, tests, and design document.
OS design review and security boundaries: lab and review
Submit the final kernel lab, tests, and design document. Complete the paired lab, record issues, and explain design tradeoffs in class review.
Assessment
Concept questions, reading responses, design tasks, and small programming or lab exercises.
Kernel labs, debugging records, tests, and design notes.
Participation in discussions, demos, code or paper reviews, and peer feedback.
Submit reproducible artifacts, a technical report, and a demo explaining methods, results, limitations, and future work.
Course Project
The project extends a teaching kernel or small systems component. Students implement a clear subsystem and provide design notes, tests, and performance or security analysis.
Policies
- AI tools are allowed, but generated code, lab notes, and design suggestions must be reviewed by the student and disclosed in the report.
- Students may not submit code, proofs, configuration, or experimental results they cannot explain; each member must defend their own design, tests, and tradeoffs.
- Late work affects iteration grades, but the course values reproducible, auditable, and maintainable results over last-minute accumulation.
Reference Courses
International
- CambridgeOperating Systems
- CMU15-410: Operating System Design and Implementation
- ETH ZurichAdvanced Operating Systems
- Georgia TechCS 6200: Introduction to Operating Systems
- MIT6.1810 Operating System Engineering
- PrincetonCOS 318: Operating Systems
- StanfordCS140: Operating Systems
- UC BerkeleyCS 162: Operating Systems and System Programming
- University of WashingtonCSE 451: Introduction to Operating Systems
China 985 Universities
- 上海交通大学操作系统（SE315）
- 中国科学技术大学操作系统
- 北京大学操作系统原理
- 北京航空航天大学操作系统（OSome平台）
- 华中科技大学操作系统原理
- 南京大学操作系统：设计与实现
- 哈尔滨工业大学操作系统（李治军）
- 复旦大学操作系统(H)荣誉课程
- 浙江大学操作系统原理与实践
- 清华大学操作系统（含 rCore/uCore 实验）
- 西安交通大学操作系统原理