6.097: Operating System Engineering - Fall 2002

General Information

Catalog description // Communication // Grading // Turn-in // Collaboration // Class meetings // Reading materials // Staff // TA office hours //

MIT catalog description

Prereq.: C, 6.033, and 6.170 (and, by implication, 6.004)
U (1)
3-6-3
6 EDP

6.097 teaches the design and implementation of operating systems. At the end of this class you will understand virtual memory, threads, context switches, kernels, interrupts, system calls, interprocess communication, coordination, and the interaction between software and hardware. The class will be organized as lectures and a substantial lab. The lectures will cover basic operating system concepts using (research) papers and the lab will allow you to apply the concepts. You will be developing individually a minimal operating system from scratch, which can run on a standard Intel x86 personal computer. You will write the operating system in C (and a minimal amount of x86 assembly).

Students can use 6.097 to fulfill the engineering concentration requirements for Computer Systems.

Communication

For announcements and assignments, the Web is our authoritative form of communication. We expect students to check the 6.097 home page for both news and assignments at least once a week. If you hear a rumor, check it there. If you miss an announcement, it should be in the News Archive.

Grading policy

Grades in 6.097 will be based on the results of two quizzes (one during the term and one in final's week), lab exercises, and class participation.

Turn-in policy

To turn-in the labs, send email to 6.097-handin@pdos.lcs.mit.edu with a URL pointing at your solutions. The email must be received by 11:59pm on the Thursday that the lab is due.

Collaboration

Our policy is simple, based on professional standards: On quizzes you should not collaborate. On all other assignments you are welcome to work with anyone else on ideas and understanding, but you should complete all assignments on your own, and you should carefully acknowledge all contributions of ideas by others, whether from classmates or from sources you have read.

Class meetings

Lectures will be held on Monday and Wednesday from 11am to 12:30pm in 36-372.

Reading materials

Lion's Commentary on UNIX' 6th Edition, John Lion, Peer to Peer Communications; ISBN: 1-57398-013-7; 1st edition (June 14, 2000). (This book is available at Quantum Books.)
- The source code is also available on-line (dowload and look in usr/sys) through the PDP Unix Preservation Society.
- PDP11/40 Processor Handbook, Digital Equipment Corporation, 1972.
- Dennis M. Ritchie and Ken L.Thompson, The UNIX time-sharing system. Bell System Technical Journal 57, 6, part 2 (1978) pages 1905-1930. (You read this paper in 6.033.)
Lab background material
- PC Assembly Language, Paul. A. Carter, January 2002.
- IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual, Volume 2: Instruction set reference, Intel Coperation, 2002.
- IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual, Volume 3: System programming guide, Intel Coperation, 2002.
Selection of papers available from the 6.097 schedule

Staff

Lectures
Frans Kaashoek	NE43-522	3-7149	kaashoek@mit.edu

Teaching assistants
Josh Cates	NE43-520	3-7436	cates@mit.edu
Emil Sit	NE43-521b	3-7328	sit@lcs.mit.edu

Course mailing list: 6.097-staff@pdos.lcs.mit.edu
Use this mailing list to contact all the 6.097 staff.

TA office hours

Josh	Tuesday	5-7
Emil	Thursday	3-5

All office hours will be held in the lounge in the 5th floor of LCS (NE43).

Questions or comments regarding 6.097? Send e-mail to the TAs at 6.097-staff@pdos.lcs.mit.edu.

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