Soma-notes - User contributions [en]

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-25T02:01:30Z

Soma: /* Collaboration */

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation are fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you should be able to get full credit. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. You have to get your tutorial marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. Normally this conversation should happen during your assigned tutorial time but may also take place during TA office hours. If this conversation is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see [[#Grading|Grading]] above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Main Page

2026-08-25T01:52:13Z

Soma:

Welcome to [http://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/ Anil Somayaji's] wiki.

==COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)==

The [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|outline and notes for the Fall 2026 run of COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)]] are available.

Also available are the notes from [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|Fall 2022]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2021)|Fall 2021]], [[Operating Systems (Winter 2020)|Winter 2020]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2019)|Fall 2019]], [[Operating Systems (Winter 2019)|Winter 2019]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2018)|Fall 2018]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2017)|Fall 2017]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2015)|Fall 2015]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2014)|Fall 2014]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2012)|Fall 2012]], [[Operating Systems (Fall 2011)|Fall 2011]], and [[Operating Systems (Fall 2010)|Fall 2010]], along with the course pages for [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/os-2007f/ Fall 2007], [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/os-2007w/ Winter 2007], [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/os-2006w/ Winter 2006], [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/os-2005f/ Fall 2005], and [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/os-2004f/ Fall 2004].

==Evolutionary Security==

The [[Evolutionary Security: Winter 2025|notes for the Winter 2025 run of Evolutionary Security]] are now available.

==COMP 2406 (Fundamentals of Web Applications)==

The [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Fall 2024)|notes for the Fall 2024 run of COMP 2406 (Fundamentals of Web Applications)]] are now available. The notes for [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Winter 2016)|Winter 2016]], [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Winter 2015)|Winter 2015]], [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Winter 2014)|Winter 2014]], [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Fall 2013)|Fall 2013]], and [[Fundamentals of Web Applications (Winter 2013)|Winter 2013]] notes are also online.

==Mobile Application Development (COMP 2601)==

The [[Mobile Applications (Winter 2023)|outline and notes for the Winter 2023 run of Mobile Applications]] are now available.

==COMP 4000/5102 (Distributed Operating Systems)==

Notes and readings for the [[Distributed OS: Winter 2023|Winter 2023 run of COMP 4000/5102 (Distributed Operating Systems)]] are now available.

Also, the notes from [[Distributed OS: Fall 2021|Fall 2021]], [[Distributed OS: Fall 2019|Fall 2019]], [[Distributed OS: Fall 2018|Fall 2018]], [[Distributed OS: Fall 2017|Fall 2017]], [[Distributed OS: Winter 2015|Winter 2015]], [[Distributed OS: Winter 2014|Winter 2014]], [[Distributed OS: Winter 2011|Winter 2011]], [[Distributed OS: Fall 2008|Fall 2008]], and [[Distributed OS: Winter 2008|Winter 2008]] are still online.

==Mobile Application Development (COMP 1601)==

The [[Mobile Application Development (Winter 2022)|outline and notes for the Winter 2022 run of Introduction to Mobile Application Development]] are now available. [[Mobile Application Development (Winter 2021)|Winter 2021]] is also available.

==Game Engines (COMP 4501)==

The [[Game Engines (Winter 2021)| outline and notes for the Winter 2021 run of Game Engines]] are now available.

==Adaptive Security (COMP 5900)==

The [[Adaptive Security (Fall 2020)|outline and notes for the Fall 2020 run of Adaptive Security]] are available.

==COMP 4108 (Computer Systems Security)==

The notes for the [[Computer Systems Security (Winter 2018)|Winter 2018 run of COMP 4108 (Computer Systems Security)]] are now available.

Also available are the notes from [[Computer Systems Security (Winter 2016)|Winter 2016]].

==COMP 4108 (Computer Systems Security)==

The notes for the [[Computer Systems Security (Winter 2016)|Winter 2016 run of COMP 4108 (Computer Systems Security)]] are now available.

==Operating System and Web Security (COMP 5900J/4900D)==

Notes and readings for [[Operating Systems and Web Security: Fall 2012]] are online.

==Intrusion Detection (COMP 5900)==

Notes for [[Intrusion Detection: Winter 2011 (COMP 5900X)]] are online. Also, the course pages from [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/id-2006w/ Winter 2006] and [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/id-2007w/ Winter 2007] are also available.

==Biological Approaches to Computer Security (COMP 5900)==

Notes for [[Biological Approaches to Computer Security: Winter 2012]] (COMP 5900X) are online. Also, course pages from [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/biosec-2004/ Winter 2004] and [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/biosec/ Winter 2005] are also available.


==Essays==

[[Essays|Anil's personal essays.]]

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2026-08-25T01:49:43Z

Soma:

* navigation
** mainpage|mainpage-description
** Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|Operating Systems 2026F

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-25T01:37:47Z

Soma:

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation are fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you should be able to get full credit. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. You have to get your tutorial marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. Normally this conversation should happen during your assigned tutorial time but may also take place during TA office hours. If this conversation is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see [[#Grading|Grading]] above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026)

2026-08-24T23:37:49Z

Soma:

==Course Outline==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline|Here]] is the course outline for COMP 3000: Operating Systems.

==Lectures & Exams==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Date
</th>
<th>
Topic
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 9, 10

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 1|Lecture 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 15, 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 2|Lecture 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 17, 18

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 3|Lecture 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 22, 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 4|Lecture 4]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 24, 25

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 5|Lecture 5]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 29, 30

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 6|Lecture 6]] (NSPW) (Last day to withdraw with fee adjustment: Sep. 30)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 1, 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 7|Lecture 7]] (NSPW)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 6, 7

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 8|Lecture 8]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 8, 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 9|Lecture 9]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 13, 14

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 10|Lecture 10]]: Midterm Review

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 15, 16

</td>
<td>
Midterm (in class)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 20, 21

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 11|Lecture 11]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 22, 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 12|Lecture 12]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 3, 4

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 13|Lecture 13]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 5, 6

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 14|Lecture 14]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 10, 11

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 15|Lecture 15]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 12, 13

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 16|Lecture 16]] 
(Last day to withdraw Nov. 13)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 17, 18

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 17|Lecture 17]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 19, 20

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 18|Lecture 18]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 24, 25

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 19|Lecture 19]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 26, 27

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 20|Lecture 20]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 1, 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 21|Lecture 21]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 3, 4

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 22|Lecture 22]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 8, 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 23|Lecture 23]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
TBA

</td>
<td>
Final Exam

</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Tutorials==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Date Available
</th>
<th>
Tutorials
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 14

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 1|Tutorial 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 21

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 2|Tutorial 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 28

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 3|Tutorial 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct 5

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 4|Tutorial 4]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 19

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 5|Tutorial 5]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 6|Tutorial 6]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 7|Tutorial 7]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 8|Tutorial 8]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 9|Tutorial 9]]

</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Assignments==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Due Date
</th>
<th>
Assignments
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 28

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 1|Assignment 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 13, 14:30

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 2|Assignment 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 3|Assignment 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 7

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 4|Assignment 4]]

</td>
</tr>
</table>

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:37:26Z

Soma:

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you should be able to get full credit. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see [[#Grading|Grading]] above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:34:52Z

Soma: /* Collaboration */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you should be able to get full credit. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see [[#Grading|Grading]] above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:32:32Z

Soma: /* Grading */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you should be able to get full credit. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:31:09Z

Soma: /* Course Information */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:30:23Z

Soma: /* University Policies & Resources */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==Academic Accommodations and Regulations==

===Academic Accommodation===

Carleton is committed to providing academic accessibility for all individuals. You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. The accommodation request processes are outlined on the Academic Accommodations website (https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/).

===Generative AI Usage===

As our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic Integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.

===Academic Integrity===

Students are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity, which include fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. Examples of actions that compromise these values include but are not limited to plagiarism, accessing unauthorized sites for assignments or tests, unauthorized collaboration on assignments or exams, and using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT when your assessment instructions say it is not permitted.

Misconduct in scholarly activity will not be tolerated and will result in consequences as outlined in [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. A list of standard sanctions in the Faculty of Science can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

Additional details about this process can be found on the [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ Faculty of Science Academic Integrity website].

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and abide by [https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy]. Claiming ignorance of or confusion about the academic integrity standards as described in the Policy does not excuse a student from responsibility for violations of those standards.

===Student Rights & Responsibilities===

Students are expected to act responsibly and engage respectfully with other students and members of the Carleton and the broader community. See the [https://carleton.ca/studentaffairs/student-rights-and-responsibilities/#sect1.1 7 Rights and Responsibilities Policy] for details regarding the expectations of non-academic behaviour of students. Those who participate with another student in the commission of an infraction of this Policy will also be held liable for their actions.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:19:51Z

Soma: /* Extenuating Circumstances */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to not pressure you to make a specific choice; you must decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:18:00Z

Soma:

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==Extenuating Circumstances==

While I expect you to take this course seriously, I do not expect it to be the most important thing in your life. Physical and mental health issues, family responsibilities, natural and personal disasters, and other factors may come up over the semester. I want you to succeed in this course, and to that end I will do what I reasonably can to help you succeed. If your request can be accommodated with not unreasonable effort by me or the TAs, and the accommodation is one that is reasonable to give to anyone in your circumstances, I will do what I can.

Having said this, the main thing I have to give is extra time, but there is only so much time in a semester. Sometimes you'll need to get extra time by trying again in another semester, and that is okay. Having said that, I will always respect you enough to allow you to decide what is best for your circumstances.

Remember that sometimes we all need help. [https://wellness.carleton.ca/ The Carleton Wellness Website] is a good resource if you aren't sure what to do next.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:07:39Z

Soma: /* SCS Computer Laboratory */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

Students taking a COMP course can access the SCS computer labs. The lab schedule and location can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/. Technical support staff may be contacted in-person or virtually, see this page for details: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/contact-it-support/.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:06:54Z

Soma: /* Undergraduate Academic Advisor */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisors for the School of Computer Science are available in Room 5302HP; or by email at (scs.ug.advisor at cunet.carleton.ca). The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T23:03:51Z

Soma:

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anilsomayaji at cunet.carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)
* Late assignments are only accepted until solutions are posted, unless extenuating circumstances apply and have been discussed with the course instructor. Tutorials have to be marked by a TA within 8 days of the tutorial being posted, again unless extenuating circumstances apply.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely, as they are graded on a participation basis. Note that solutions are never posted for tutorials.

I am best contacted via Teams direct message. I will also respond to email, preferably to my CUNET address.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:53:46Z

Soma: /* Collaboration */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

All exams are expected to be completed individually, and without electronic aid; any communication or access of electronic devices (e.g. cellphones) during exams will be considered cheating. Use of Smart Glasses (or other similar assistive technologies) before or during a test is strictly prohibited and is considered an academic integrity violation. Even if you have prescription glasses with assistive technologies, you will not be allowed to use them during the test, so please make sure that you have acceptable prescription glasses. The proctor has the right to ask to inspect your glasses before or during the test. In addition, unless authorized with PMC accommodations, you are NOT allowed to use headphones nor ear buds during a test. Also, during a test, if you choose to wear a baseball cap, sunglasses or anything else that would prevent a proctor from monitoring where your eyes are focused during the test, you will likely be asked by a proctor to move to a different seat. Lastly, you must submit your exam before leaving the classroom or it won't be graded.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:48:53Z

Soma: /* Grading */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade. (Missed exams count as a zero for grade calculation purposes.)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:47:10Z

Soma: /* Grading */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The midterm and final exams are closed book: no notes, no collaboration, no online resources, no AI. Exams will be written in an exam book based on printed exams, except where accommodations require other forms.
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:33:26Z

Soma: /* Required Textbooks */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/operating-system-concepts-10th-edition-p-9781119320913 Operating System Concepts, 10th Edition by Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne]. You should plan to read the assigned sections BEFORE class, at least briefly, so you are familiar with the context of the lecture; then, read the sections in more detail after lecture.

You may also wish to consult the free online textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. I used this textbook in previous runs of this class.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:24:08Z

Soma: /* Course Notes/Multimedia */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|lecture pages on the main course website]] generally within two days after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:20:43Z

Soma: /* Collaboration */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

AIs should be treated the same as human collaborators, in that you may use them, but the answers you submit should be your own work, whether it is code or text. Note that artificially boosting your assignment grades may not be helpful if there is too much of a discrepancy between them and your exam grades (see Marking above).

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:17:00Z

Soma: /* Tutorials */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. You can only get credit for a tutorial within 8 days of the tutorial being made available. (Tutorials are posted generally on Sundays, so you have until the end of the following Monday to get credit.) Partial attempts may be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students. While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources (including AI), when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:10:34Z

Soma: /* Communication, Lectures, and Assignments */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Online course announcements and discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted in person except when announced otherwise, in which case they will take place over Zoom. Note that the Wednesday and Friday lectures will be repeat performances of the Tuesday and Thursday lectures, except for the first week of class when they are reversed.

Lecture recordings will be posted to the course webpage, generally within 48 hours of lecture. One or both of the lectures may be posted, depending on the week.

Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T22:04:15Z

Soma: /* Grading */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 5% for lecture participation.
* 20% for tutorial participation.
* 20% for the assignments, if exam average is not too low (see below).
* 20% for the Midterm Exam, Oct. 15th & 16th during class.
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period).

Note the following:
* The lecture and tutorial participation and fundamentally graded on a credit/no credit basis. In other words, if you show up and try you get full credit, otherwise you don't get any. Depending upon class performance the requirements for what is required to get full credit may change over the course of the semester; however, the expectation is that everyone who tries should be able to get 100% of these marks.
* If your assignment average is more than 25% higher than your weighted exam average (midterm & final), assignment grades are dropped and the weight assigned to the exams. For example, if you get 100% on assignments but only 70% for the exams (weighted average), the assignments would no longer count towards your final grade.

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026)

2026-08-24T21:44:46Z

Soma:

'''This course page is in development.'''

==Course Outline==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline|Here]] is the course outline for COMP 3000: Operating Systems.

==Lectures & Exams==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Date
</th>
<th>
Topic
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 9, 10

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 1|Lecture 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 15, 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 2|Lecture 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 17, 18

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 3|Lecture 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 22, 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 4|Lecture 4]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 24, 25

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 5|Lecture 5]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 29, 30

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 6|Lecture 6]] (NSPW) (Last day to withdraw with fee adjustment: Sep. 30)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 1, 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 7|Lecture 7]] (NSPW)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 6, 7

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 8|Lecture 8]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 8, 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 9|Lecture 9]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 13, 14

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 10|Lecture 10]]: Midterm Review

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 15, 16

</td>
<td>
Midterm (in class)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 20, 21

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 11|Lecture 11]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 22, 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 12|Lecture 12]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 3, 4

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 13|Lecture 13]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 5, 6

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 14|Lecture 14]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 10, 11

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 15|Lecture 15]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 12, 13

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 16|Lecture 16]] 
(Last day to withdraw Nov. 13)

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 17, 18

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 17|Lecture 17]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 19, 20

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 18|Lecture 18]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 24, 25

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 19|Lecture 19]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 26, 27

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 20|Lecture 20]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 1, 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 21|Lecture 21]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 3, 4

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 22|Lecture 22]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 8, 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F Lecture 23|Lecture 23]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
TBA

</td>
<td>
Final Exam

</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Tutorials==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Date Available
</th>
<th>
Tutorials
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 14

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 1|Tutorial 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 21

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 2|Tutorial 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 28

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 3|Tutorial 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct 5

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 4|Tutorial 4]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 19

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 5|Tutorial 5]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 2

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 6|Tutorial 6]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 9

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 7|Tutorial 7]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 8|Tutorial 8]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 23

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2026F: Tutorial 9|Tutorial 9]]

</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Assignments==

<table style="width: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr valign="top">
<th>
Due Date
</th>
<th>
Assignments
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sep. 28

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 1|Assignment 1]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Oct. 13, 14:30

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 2|Assignment 2]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nov. 16

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 3|Assignment 3]]

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dec. 7

</td>
<td>
[[Operating Systems 2022F: Assignment 4|Assignment 4]]

</td>
</tr>
</table>

Operating Systems (Fall 2026)

2026-08-24T21:22:05Z

Soma:

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T21:17:37Z

Soma: /* Course Information */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (he/him, anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T17:31:25Z

Soma: /* Topics */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate list of topics the course will cover. Because the concepts of operating systems are highly interconnected, many topics will be covered multiple times at increasing levels of detail. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials will be developed through the term on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

* Processes
* Computer architecture
* Filesystems
* Concurrency
* CPU Scheduling
* Virtual Memory
* Inter-Process Communication
* Networking
* High performance I/O
* Virtual Machines
* Containers
* Security
* Cloud Infrastructure

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T17:16:58Z

Soma:

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Topics==

Below is an approximate week-by-week list of topics the course will cover. A more detailed list along with associated learning materials is on the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2026)|main course webpage]].

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T17:10:05Z

Soma: /* Course Information */

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment in 5137 HP and online
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-24T17:08:25Z

Soma:

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment (Subject to change)
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 16:05-17:25
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-21T17:13:58Z

Soma:

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment (Subject to change)
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:'''
** A: Tue. & Thu. 14:35-15:55
** B: Wed. & Fri. 8:35-9:55
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Wed. 13:05-14:25
** A2: Wed. 19:35-20:55
** A3: Mon. 16:05-17:25
** B1: Mon. 14:35-15:55
** B2: Tue. 18:05-19:25
** B3: Thu. 14:35-15:55
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026)

2026-08-21T16:36:12Z

Soma: Replaced content with "'''This course page is in development.''' ==Course Outline== Here is the course outline for COMP 3000: Operating Systems."

'''This course page is in development.'''

==Course Outline==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline|Here]] is the course outline for COMP 3000: Operating Systems.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026) Course Outline

2026-08-21T16:34:33Z

Soma: Created page with "'''This course outline is in development.''' ==Course Information== *'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000 *'''Term:''' Fall 2026 *'''Title:''' Operating Systems *'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science *'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment (Subject to change) *'''Teaching Assistants:''' ** TAs will be announced in the first class *'''Lectures:''' Tue. and Thu. 11:35-12..."

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment (Subject to change)
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:''' Tue. and Thu. 11:35-12:55 AM via Zoom
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Fri. 4:05-5:25 PM 
** A2: Mon. 4:05-5:25 PM 
** A3: Mon. 2:35-3:55 PM 
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Operating Systems (Fall 2026)

2026-08-21T16:31:15Z

'''This course outline is in development.'''

==Course Information==

*'''Course Number:''' COMP 3000
*'''Term:''' Fall 2026
*'''Title:''' Operating Systems
*'''Institution:''' Carleton University, School of Computer Science
*'''Instructor:''' [https://people.scs.carleton.ca/~soma Anil Somayaji] (anil.somayaji at carleton.ca): by appointment (Subject to change)
*'''Teaching Assistants:'''
** TAs will be announced in the first class
*'''Lectures:''' Tue. and Thu. 11:35-12:55 AM via Zoom
*'''Tutorials:'''
** A1: Fri. 4:05-5:25 PM 
** A2: Mon. 4:05-5:25 PM 
** A3: Mon. 2:35-3:55 PM 
*'''Course Website''': https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Operating_Systems_%28Fall_2026%29

==Course Calendar Description==

Operating system implementation course stressing fundamental issues in design and how they relate to modern computer architectures. Assignments involve the modification and extension of a multitasking operating system.

Includes: Experiential Learning Activity

Precludes additional credit for SYSC 4001. 
Prerequisites: COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C- and COMP 2402.

==Learning Outcomes==

By the end of this course, students should:
* be able to write C code that uses low-level Linux services and should be able to implement simple Linux kernel extensions (modules),
* have a strong conceptual model of how an operating system works that allows them to determine the relative role of application and operating system code when debugging software, and
* understand the basic use and architecture of virtual machine-based cloud architectures.

Note that in order to achieve these objectives students should have come into this course with a strong background in C programming and general application development.

==Grading==

The marking scheme for this course is:

* 4% for lecture participation
* 18% for tutorial participation
* 18% for the assignments
* 25% for the Midterm, Oct. 13th during class
* 35% for the Final Exam (during the final exam period)

I also calculate grades using alternative marking schemes at the end of the semester, assigning the highest grade for each student from any of the marking schemes. Thus your final grade may be higher than might be suggested by strict following of the above scheme.

The midterm and final will not be proctored but I will conduct selected and randomized post-exam interviews. See Collaboration, below.

==Communication, Lectures, and Assignments==

[[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|The course website page listed above]] is the canonical source of information on this course. Please refer to it for updates. When significant changes are made to this document it will be either announced in lecture and/or posted in the course discussion forum.

Course discussions will be on [https://teams.microsoft.com Microsoft Teams]. While you may discuss assignments there, do not post outright answers to them (unless the solutions have been posted). You may discuss tutorials freely.

Assignment and exam submissions will be through [https://brightspace.carleton.ca Brightspace]. Grades will also be posted there.

All lectures will be conducted via Zoom. Lectures will be recorded and links posted to the course wiki. Lecture participation is based on interactions during lecture, such as questions asked and participation in online polls. You do not need to participate in every lecture to get full marks for this; the grade is based on the quality and quantity of your interactions. Note that grades will be calculated so that lecture participation can only improve your grade.

==Tutorials==

Tutorials are graded based on participation and effort, not correctness. They are marked out of four points. The expectation is that if you make a reasonable attempt at all parts of the tutorial, you will get 4/4 points. Thus for most students tutorials are an easy way to improve your overall grade. However, if you don't do the tutorials, you can significantly harm your grade for the course.

To get credit for tutorials, you must demonstrate to your assigned TA that you have made a reasonable attempt at the questions. This demonstration will typically be through a brief conversation where you show your TA your work, either in person or virtually. If this is not feasible, at your TA's discretion you may submit written answers.

The scheduled tutorial time is a designated time when you can work with TAs and other students together, in person, on that week's tutorial. TAs will generally also be available online during these times as well, so if you aren't on campus you can still get help and get credit. The Teams tutorial channel is a forum for getting help with tutorials, potentially from other students.

Plan to take a 2-5 hours each week to do the assigned tutorial. Tutorials, however, are accepted with no grade penalty up until the related assignment is due. (For example, Tutorials 1 and 2 must be completed before Assignment 1 is submitted.) Partial attempts will potentially be given partial credit; however, you may improve your tutorial mark as long as it is still being accepted. Exceptions will be made only if there are extenuating circumstances.

While you may collaborate with others and use outside resources, when asked you should indicate who helped you and and the sources you used. When submitting written answers, collaborators and sources should be clearly listed.

Your work should be your own. Please don't represent the work of others as your own, because if you do, you are subject to being reported to the Dean for plagiarism.

==Collaboration==

Collaboration on all work is allowed except for the midterm and final. Collaboration, however, should be clearly acknowledged. See below for further details.

The midterm and final exams will be open book, open note, open Internet, because they will not be actively proctored. Those outside resources will not be of much use, however, if you have not prepared by completing the tutorials and assignments. Your answers should be your own and you '''are not''' allowed to collaborate during the exams.

Random and selected exams will be chosen for '''10-15 minute interviews'''. You may also volunteer to be interviewed. These interviews are to verify grading quality and to make sure that the work is your own. The Dean will be contacted if during an interview it becomes clear that a student is not the sole author of any exam.

For assignments, while you may get help from others and even collaboratively solve technical problems, the code and answers submitted should all be your own work. For example, you ''may not'' divide an assignment into parts, give a part to another student or anyone else to solve, and then submit that work as your own. You have to have participated in the creation of every part of your submitted work. An easy way to make sure this happens is never share files regarding coursework or copy and paste answers into email. Instead, meet together (virtually) to work on an assignment and then separate to write up your solutions.

Similarity between submitted assignments and projects that has not been appropriately documented will be treated as plagiarism - the same as copying on a midterm or a final - and will be submitted to the Dean for disciplinary action.

==Course Notes/Multimedia==

Video from lectures will be available via the [[Operating Systems (Fall 2022)|lecture pages on the main course website]] within a day after lectures are delivered. These same pages will also contain code and notes given in class.

Do not rely upon the lectures and notes to cover all material related to this class. Mastery of the tutorial material is essential for doing well on the assignments and exams. Textbook and other outside readings should be used as supplements to help you understand concepts covered in lecture and tutorial.

==Required Textbooks==

The course will be using the textbook [http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/ Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces]. The chapters of this textbook are available for free online; you can also buy a full epub, PDF, or paper copy if you wish.

Individual chapters will be linked with the lectures associated with them. You should plan on reading the assigned chapters '''before''' coming to class, as the material in lectures will be easier to understand then. The lectures are designed to supplement the textbook, not replace them.

This course focuses much more on reading code rather than writing code. Thus, John Aycock's book, [http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~aycock/reading-and-modifying-code.pdf Reading and Modifying Code], is worth reading to better understand how reading code differs from writing code.

==Course Software==

In this course we will be working with the [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu] Linux distribution. You may use other Linux distributions in the tutorials to complete the assigned work; there will be differences, however, in some aspects (such as installing software), particularly if you use a distribution not based on Ubuntu or Debian.

==Undergraduate Academic Advisor==

The Undergraduate Advisor for the School of Computer Science is available in Room 5302C HP; or by email at scs.ug.advisor@cunet.carleton.ca. The undergraduate advisors can assist with information about prerequisites and preclusions, course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and the remaining requirements for graduation. The undergraduate advisors will also refer students to appropriate resources such as the Science Student Success Centre, Learning Support Services and Writing Tutorial Services.

==SCS Computer Laboratory==

SCS students can access one of the designated labs for your course. The lab schedule can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/tech-support/computer-laboratories/. All SCS computer lab and technical support information can be found at: https://carleton.ca/scs/technical-support/. Technical support is available in room HP5161 Monday to Friday from 9:00 until 17:00 or by emailing SCS.Tech.Support@cunet.carleton.ca.

==University Policies & Resources==

For information about Carleton's academic year, including registration and withdrawal dates, see [https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/ Carleton's The Academic Year].

===Pregnancy, Religious, or other Obligation===

For pregnancy, religious, or other equity-related obligations please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit [https://carleton.ca/womensstudies/resources-and-links/equity-services/ Equity Services] and [https://carleton.ca/equity/focus/discrimination-harassment/religious-spiritual-observances/ Religious/Spiritual Observances].

===Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities===

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more details, visit the [http://carleton.ca/pmc Paul Menton Centre website].

===Survivors of Sexual Violence===

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit [https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support Sexual Assault Support Services].

===Accommodation for Student Activities===

Accommodation for Student Activities. Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, see [https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf the policy].

===Student Academic Integrity Policy===

Student Academic Integrity Policy. Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalties which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Examples of punishable offences include: plagiarism and unauthorized co-operation or collaboration. Information on this policy may be found [https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/ here].

====Plagiarism====

As defined by Senate, "plagiarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed by the office of the Dean of Science. Standard pentaly guidelines can be found [https://science.carleton.ca/academic-integrity/ here].

====Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration====

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis".

Please see above for the specific collaboration policy for this course.

===Special Information===

It is important to remember that COVID is still present in Ottawa. The situation can change at any time and the risks of new variants and outbreaks are very real. There are number of actions you can take to lower your risk and the risk you pose to those around you including being vaccinated, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands and maintaining proper respiratory and cough etiquette.

'''Feeling sick?''' Remaining vigilant and not attending work or school when sick or with symptoms is critically important. If you feel ill or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms do not come to class or campus. If you feel ill or exhibit symptoms while on campus or in class, please leave campus immediately. In all situations, you must follow Carleton’s symptom reporting protocols.

'''Masks:''' Carleton has paused the COVID-19 Mask policy, but continues to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. It may become necessary to quickly reinstate the mask requirement if pandemic circumstances were to change.

'''Vaccines:''' While proof of vaccination is no longer required as of May 1 to attend campus or in-person activity, it may become necessary for the University to bring back proof of vaccination requirements on short notice if the situation and public health advice changes. Students are strongly encouraged to get a full course of vaccination, including booster doses as soon as they are eligible, and submit their booster dose information in cuScreen as soon as possible. Please note that Carleton cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer virtual or hybrid learning options for those who are unable to attend the campus.

All members of the Carleton community are required to follow requirements and guidelines regarding health and safety which may change from time to time. For the most recent information about Carleton’s COVID-19 website and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have additional questions after reviewing, please contact covidinfo@carleton.ca.

'''Doctor’s note or medical certificate:''' in effect for Fall 2022 term. In place of a doctor’s note or medical certificate, students are advised to complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed course work including exams and assignments. Students should also discuss with the course instructor the required accommodations arising from the COVID-19 situation.

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 21

2025-03-27T21:23:05Z

Soma:

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/burgess-nspw2018.pdf Burgess, "After the BlockCloud Apocalypse." (NSPW 2018)]

==Discussion Questions==

* Which predictions were the most plausible? implausible?
* What relevant advancements/developments (technical or otherwise) were missed in the timeline that could change the envisioned trajectory?
* What can we do to avoid a blockcloud apocalypse?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 21
----------

G1
- plausible: online misinformation tool, dead internet theory
- implausible: cryptocurrency takeover, AI as the silver lining?
- advancements missed: LLMs, breaking crypto
- need to trust each other more, decentralize trust, IRL interactions

G2
- implausible: separate IoT cloud services, online misinformation tools
(stuff to manipulate algorithms, generate content)
- plausible: everything on the cloud, storage->computation, apps
- not clear large govts using blockchain
- missed LLMs
- expertise gap between law/policy and AI/modern computer tech
- avoid BA through policy, but maybe not avoidable (go to the woods)
- plausible that AI will do more legal stuff

G3
- plausible: cloud providers became govts, blockchain shift
- implausible: AI worms attacking blockchains
- real trust still relies on people, not just systems
- missed advancements: improvements in security tech, improvements to privacy
preserving tech, federated learning
- no easy technological solution to these problems, solution will be
on the policy side, will be social

How plausible are widespread worms?
- social, not technical factors

How to avoid
- take evolution & trust seriously
- educate policy makers
- tell better stories about security
- we need to tell ourselves better stories

- computers allow us to process, communicate, distribute information
- allows for social connections to be scaled
(bureaucracy to be scaled)

There's a reason computers were first adopted by large businesses & govts
- had the need to process information to run their bureaucracies

what is a bureaucracy?
- infrastructure for organizing the activities of people

the constraints of distributed computation also apply to groups of people

With the introduction of computers, we've made processes for organizing society
that are more computer-focused (and org-focused) rather than socially focused
(satisfying needs of people)

online dating
- it is the way it is, because that's what maximizes engagement
- need lots of users having lots of engagement
- no incentive for short interactions that lead to satisfying outcomes

it isn't just dating
- we want scalable technical systems to maximize economic opportunity for
the companies
- not necessarily to the advantage of individuals or society

Consider search
- over what data? the right data, or all data?
- is it worth curating data?
- what data is worth indexing?

Why does Google index AI-generated slop?
- what would it take to avoid doing this?

crawling the web blindly made sense when the web was mostly legit pages
- but if it is full of crap, that isn't a good strategy

But WHY is the web filled with crap?
- because that content can be monetized
- Google created this problem!

If there was more friction in having ads on pages or in getting pages indexed,
we wouldn't have the AI generated web page problem
- would be too difficult

newspaper ads were never so easy to place
- even classifieds

when a third party can disintermediate trust, and they have few incentives to make sure parties act in trustworthy ways...you get a lot of anti-social behavior
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 21

2025-03-27T15:26:14Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/burgess-nspw2018.pdf Burgess, "After the BlockCloud Apocalypse." (NSPW 2018)] ==Discussion Questions== * Which predictions were the most plausible? implausible? * What relevant advancements/developments (technical or otherwise) were missed in the timeline that could change the envisioned trajectory? * What can we do to avoid a blockcloud apocalypse? ==Notes=="

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 20

2025-03-25T18:53:02Z

Soma:

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/somayaji-nspw97.pdf Somayaji, "Principles of a Computer Immune System." (NSPW 1997)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/nspw-2007-biopanel.pdf Somayaji, "Panel: The Future of Biologically-Inspired Security: Is There Anything Left to Learn?" (NSPW 2008)]

==Discussion Questions==

* How does evolution relate to biologically-inspired security?
* How does trust relate to biologically-inspired security?
* What do you think of the panel question "Is there anything left to learn?" Is it the right question to ask about biologically-inspired security?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 20
----------

G1
- biology has created working security systems, so reasonable to try replicating
- trust is the basis of everything, including bio-inspired security
- question is a bit stubborn
- hasn't been good for past scientists who have said this
- was more "what's next to learn"
- how can you replicate vaccines in computers?
- computer vaccines would also have to change over time in response
to attacker innovation
- "inactivated malware"?
- barely scratched the surface of how the brain works, so still lots to learn

G2
- evolution is a testbed for security mechanisms in biology
- biological entities don't protect secrets
- we keep learning more about biology
- what is the purpose of learning from biology?
- we've pulled in the big concepts, so we may be on the downward slope
- focus on more niche features of biology
- we've used the big ones

G3
- bio-inspired security is based on a system that evolved, so is related to evolution
- trust arises in how malicious activities can be detected and stopped while normal system functioning is allowed to proceed
- question is what is left to learn
- gap between fields seems to be growing, not much communication
- lots of crossover between other fields, why isn't it there in security?

Project presentations
- 5-10 minute presentations
- just present your project
- basic idea
- what you've done
- what you're going to do
- make sure to spend 1-2 slides explaining the research problem/area
- why are you doing this work?
- for the literature review part, give a high-level overview
of past work
- for proposals, do a brief lit review (1-2 slides) then describe
your proposed research
- have between 5-10 slides
- 5 is probably enough

- "Principles" was my first first-author publication
- the principles part holds up today in terms of "what is cool" about
immunology from a computer security perspective
- Panel came out of a rejected paper
- bit of a consolation prize

No "subsystem" in biology does exactly what you think it does
- the systems evolved, they weren't designed
- so no clear separation of concerns
- immune system is for maintaining homeostasis, not "security"
- co-existence is always an option
- immune system is also a "distributed nervous system"
- neurotransmitters are similar or are the same as the chemicals that
immune cells use to communicate

When we talk about "bio inspired security" or any cross-disciplinary work,
we are comparing models to models
- mapping models onto models is a subtle business
- can often lead to more confusion than clarity

living systems evolved, so they survived in the face of evolving threats
- neat trick to learn for computer security!
- but...do we understand how they evolved?

Rather than metaphors, I want to get at underlying principles
- solid foundations rather than shaky mappings

That foundation is clearly evolution, at least in part
- but I think we got evolution wrong

evolution (to me) is an interplay between cooperation and conflict
- cooperation is a key survival strategy
- but cooperation is only safe if it is with those you trust
- those who won't betray you for personal or short-term gain

The central problem of computer security is making sure systems cooperate
only with those who are trustworthy
- more than "authorized" as credentials can be compromised

so from this perspective, computer security IS the problem of how to evolve computers in a world where trust isn't assumed

(note we mostly assume code, systems, services are trustworthy and thus can be trusted, and when they aren't our systems just break horribly)

bio-inspired security is the process of learning from systems that don't assume trust - how can they be built, how can they work?
- but living systems are interesting just to the extent they are examples of such systems
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 20

2025-03-25T15:30:13Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/somayaji-nspw97.pdf Somayaji, "Principles of a Computer Immune System." (NSPW 1997)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/nspw-2007-biopanel.pdf Somayaji, "Panel: The Future of Biologically-Inspired Security: Is There Anything Left to Learn?" (NSPW 2008)] ==Discussion Questions== * How does evolution relate to biologically-inspired security? * How does trust relate to biologically-inspired sec..."

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 19

2025-03-20T17:40:54Z

Soma: /* Notes */

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/findlay-ccsw2020.pdf Findlay, "bpfbox: Simple Precise Process Confinement with eBPF." (CCSW 2020)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/findlay-bpfcontain2021.pdf Findlay, "Bpfcontain: Fixing the soft underbelly of container security." (arXiv 2021)]

==Discussion Questions==

* Is the complexity of Linux security mechanisms due more to functional requirements or evolutionary processes?
* What is the relationship between trust and confinement?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 19
----------
G1
- complexity more from evolution, not design
- open source software dev follows patterns of evolution
- confinement is a tool for trust: more confinement, less trust

G2
- complexity comes more from functional requirements
- individuals find problem with existing mechanisms and then add something
to fix things
- adding leads to complexity
- you have to trust that the confinement mechanisms work

G3
- complexity more comes from evolution not design
- you have to keep modifying what you have
- complexity arises from the need for compatibility, not change what is there
- specifying confinement is a reverse way of producing a model of behavior
- no need to understand any particular user's behavior pattern

confinement as a problem
- limiting what code can do
- limits are in part based on trustworthiness of code

confinement isn't absolute
- because that limits cooperation, integration

but it is necessary
- because otherwise errors and attacks propagate
- too difficult for developers to understand, work with
- also too complex, spaghetti code

Confinement is a fundamental property of modern operating systems
- files separate data
- processes separate code execution

process is a running program
- own virtual cpu
- own virtual memory

traditional operating systems don't do that good of a job of confining processes
- because they are often used as components in larger computations
- shared files, pipes, sockets, shared memory

but what if you want to run programs that you don't trust?
- full confinement => sandboxing (e.g., JavaScript sandbox)

Originally OS virtualization was just a way to share a kernel between multiple userlands from different individuals (e.g., web hosting)

Containers became popular as a means for deploying software
- for systems administration purposes, not security
- because a container has all the local dependencies for any app

devops is enabled by containers
- developers make the containers, and those containers can be directly deployed

virtual machines became the unit of resource allocation and security
- mimicking the boundaries of a physical computer

Why do we need a hypervisor to multiplex kernels for security, can't we just
have a kernel multiplex and confine containers securely?

so why didn't we push bpfcontain more?
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 19

2025-03-20T15:35:07Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/findlay-ccsw2020.pdf Findlay, "bpfbox: Simple Precise Process Confinement with eBPF." (CCSW 2020)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/findlay-bpfcontain2021.pdf Findlay, "Bpfcontain: Fixing the soft underbelly of container security." (arXiv 2021)] ==Discussion Questions== * Is the complexity of Linux security mechanisms due more to functional requirements or evolutionary processes? * What is..."

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 18

2025-03-18T18:36:34Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/dabbour-nspw2020.pdf Dabbour, "Towards In-Band Non-Cryptographic Authentication." (NSPW 2020)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/bfoster-gecco-2010.pdf Foster, "Object-Level Recombination of Commodity Applications." (GECCO 2010)] ==Notes== <pre> Lecture 18 ---------- G1 - can be more complex to detect imposters in practice because to do so because 1) you won't consider it a possibility, and..."

==Readings==
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/dabbour-nspw2020.pdf Dabbour, "Towards In-Band Non-Cryptographic Authentication." (NSPW 2020)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/bfoster-gecco-2010.pdf Foster, "Object-Level Recombination of Commodity Applications." (GECCO 2010)]

==Notes==
<pre>
Lecture 18
----------
G1
- can be more complex to detect imposters in practice because to do so because 1) you won't consider it a possibility, and 2) you'd have to act weird
- AI chatbots can immitate people given chat history, that could defeat detection attempts
- shared history may be the strongest authenticator but isn't practical (like narrative auth)

G2
- What's the connection between these two? Seemed obscure
- create new and identifiable contexts for security
- security context from code diversity vs shared knowledge/observations
- computer-to-computer is not like people-to-people communication, is it even feasible to distinguish them?
- similar to encryption, shared secret, but secret is shared context
- how complex of models would be required for authentication between computers?

G4
- doesn't computer behavior boil down to protocols, so not so much opportunity for unknown shared context?
- if one host is compromised, it can be immitated using stolen data
- compromised communication allows models to be built up over time
- how does the link resolver work?!
- is genetic recombination practical?
- can you really get more complexity over many generations?
- what is the similarity between the papers?

G3
- knowing the attacker could be there biases the conversation
- if you did a more "real world" experiment, would people detect impersonation if not primed? suspect they won't
- in the real world users, if someone knows they've been hacked they have other ways of communicating this fact
- if defender can train model, attacker can also, and your behavior is harder to change than a password
- no mutation of object files, so is this evolution?
- how can we do mutation here that would generate novelty?
- don't we still need people? How can this be fully automated?

I don't see these papers as practical, but evocative
- how do people recognize each other when limited to text?
- can we have programs sexually reproduce like biological organisms, without
being designed for this?

don't mistake the abstraction for the implementation
- computer-to-computer "conversational" auth would have models of implementation & context-specific details
- precise program versions
- communication details
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 17

2025-03-13T18:45:36Z

Soma: /* Notes */

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/amatrawy-acns-05.pdf Matrawy, "Mitigating Network Denial-of-Service Through Diversity-Based Traffic Management." (ACNS 2005)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/inoue-lisa2007.pdf Inoue, "NetADHICT: A Tool for Understanding Network Traffic." (LISA 2007)]

==Discussion Questions==

* What does it mean for an attacker to "defeat" (p,n)-gram based traffic clustering?
* What do high frequency (p,n)-grams reveal about network traffic? Does this include anything that might compromise user privacy?
* Is ADHIC an anomaly detection algorithm? Can it be used to detect anomalies?
* How fast is ADHIC compared to other standard clustering algorithms?
* Is diversity-based traffic management feasible today given that so much traffic is encrypted?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 17
----------

* Internet protocols
* clustering vs classification
* p,n-grams

best-effort packet delivery
- rather than guaranteed delivery

IP - best effort
TCP - guaranteed delivery

best effort allows for denial of service
- can always eliminate DoS with reservations, but only for the chosen few

Unless you make deliberate choices about who gets service, EVERYONE gets poor service when there is too much demand

So how do we deal with denial of service on the Internet today?

Today we mostly manage DoS through content distribution networks (CDNs) of some kind.

A CDN is its own network of servers (an "overlay network" or entirely separate) that distributes & serves data

How do CDNs route traffic?
- a form of load balancing, but also prioritization
(how much did you pay?)
- tends to be on a per-server basis, not per-client

What is normal for the network?
- constant level of weirdness!

Internet telescope
- reserve a large block of IP addresses that aren't being used
- watch what traffic comes to it

naive anomaly detection on network traffic will have huge false positives
- or, your model will be way too general

Today we mostly do the exact opposite
- deep packet inspection systems
- in the cloud, will analyze decrypted packets
- really try to understand traffic using lots of rules, reconstructing flows

Normally traffic is managed using source IP address, source port, destination IP address, destination port, protocol
- but is that all we can look at?
- can we use this data in a more generic way, without parsing out flows?

So why p,n-grams?

n-grams is a common way to analyze large amounts of data
- n in n-gram is just a length, so a set of fixed-length strings

One idea is to do n-gram analysis on packets (whole packets or just packet headers)
- n-gram analysis is relatively slow, have to search entire packet for a match

network routers go through a lot of effort to not look at every byte in a packet

What do routers look at?
- source and destination IP addresses

Notice that these are 4 byte (or 16 byte) patterns at fixed offsets in a packet header
- p,n-grams are a generalization of source and destination IP addresses

What is the frequency distribution of p,n-grams?

What does it mean for an attacker to "defeat" (p,n)-gram based traffic clustering?
- attacker wants to get maximum bandwidth
- so, have to get their packets into all the queues, or as many as possible
- in order to do that, they have to create packets that have p,n-grams that are being used by every queue (every leaf node in ADHIC)

What do high frequency (p,n)-grams reveal about network traffic? Does this include anything that might compromise user privacy?
- inherently privacy preserving, except for bad actors

Is ADHIC an anomaly detection algorithm? Can it be used to detect anomalies?

How fast is ADHIC compared to other standard clustering algorithms?

Is diversity-based traffic management feasible today given that so much traffic is encrypted?

How does this relate to trust?
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 17

2025-03-13T14:58:47Z

Soma: /* Discussion Questions */

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 17

2025-03-13T14:57:12Z

Soma: /* Discussion Questions */

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 17

2025-03-13T14:25:39Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/amatrawy-acns-05.pdf Matrawy, "Mitigating Network Denial-of-Service Through Diversity-Based Traffic Management." (ACNS 2005)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/inoue-lisa2007.pdf Inoue, "NetADHICT: A Tool for Understanding Network Traffic." (LISA 2007)] ==Discussion Questions== ==Notes=="

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 16

2025-03-11T18:20:33Z

Soma: /* Notes */

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/yli-acsac-05.pdf Li, "Securing Email Archives through User Modeling." (ACSAC 2005)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/li-catx2013.pdf Li, "Fine-grained Access Control using Email Social Networks." (CATX 2013)]

==Discussion Questions==

Feel free to only address a subset or none of the following questions in your discussion!

* What does it take to define "normal"? In what contexts is it easier to define normal, and where is it harder?
* To what extent does improved technology make it easier to distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior in an adversarial context?
* When are false alarms okay, and when are they bad? (How often do you get alerts today from security systems and how often are these irrelevant?)
* In general, is it better to look at data or metadata when doing anomaly detection?
* How does the metadata for modern communication platforms differ from email? How is it similar?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 16
----------

G1
- defining normal: long term, consistent data collected
- hard to define normal if there isn't enough data (not enough interaction)
or consistency
- don't need too much consistency, just need lots of data so the patterns
can be extracted
- false alarms
- notifications from google regarding logins is mostly false alarms but is still useful for maintaining security
- but too many notifications for regular activity will lead to users to ignore, so frequency matters
- severity also matters, can stress out users for no reason

G2
- "window length" idea, how to apply generally?
- harder to define normal with smaller & smaller window lengths
- larger behavior space, more possible actions makes it harder to define normal
- false alarms: intensity of alarms matters, how easy to ignore/how concerning
- data vs metadata: generally metadata is the way to go
- context matters, hard to get context from data
(but not always, e.g., topics)

G3
- LLM/AI could help with looking at data for determining normal/classification
- is it good to get all of this data? could be used for impersonation
- false alarms
- geographic change-based alerts can be reasonable, for example
- but could dissuade users from trying new things
- 2FA on Carleton email, how useful when done on same device?
- not good when it is hard to access important information quickly, interferes with normal tasks
- modern platforms track more: typing, geographic info
- more invasive
- gets confused - IP address is in Toronto but still in Ottawa
- assigning tasks/roles - using just email can be too limited
- but modern platforms are controlled by large companies, so can see
info across apps

G4
- does better tech make defining normal easier?
- not really!
- newer tech, newer kinds of abnormalities
- still an open problem in machine learning 20 years later!
- still not getting great accuracy
- machine learning black boxes don't help so much for anomaly detection
- people need to go deeper to derive mathematical relationships
- have to look at the metadata to determine attacks, don't have ground truth
(don't know what is really an attack) most of the time
- if attacker has information (e.g., emails), can mask their attacks, hide from detection

Easy to do anomaly detection wrong
- focus on modeling everything, rather than what you must model
- no clear idea of what "normal" will be

machine learning is best used first as a tool for data exploration
- can use in production, but ONLY after you really understand what it does
- machine learning isn't always the best at identifying features!
- because it lacks context

to do security well, you need "normal" to be very consistent
- which means humans should be able to do the classification relatively easily

So the art of this is to figure out what will be consistent
- use domain knowledge & machine learning exploration of data

email archive detection
- attacker evasion is either noticable to automated system or user

Work backwards from attacks!
- why are they weird?
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 16

2025-03-11T15:31:29Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/yli-acsac-05.pdf Li, "Securing Email Archives through User Modeling." (ACSAC 2005)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/li-catx2013.pdf Li, "Fine-grained Access Control using Email Social Networks." (CATX 2013)] ==Discussion Questions== Feel free to only address a subset or none of the following questions in your discussion! * What does it take to define "normal"? In what contexts is it easi..."

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 15

2025-03-06T19:21:06Z

Soma:

==Readings==

* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/obada-usec2017.pdf Obada-Obieh, "“Don’t Break My Heart!”: User Security Strategies for Online Dating." (USEC 2017)]
* [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/obada-nspw2017.pdf Obada-Obieh, "Can I believe you?: Establishing Trust in Computer Mediated Introductions." (NSPW 2017)]

==Discussion Questions==

* How different is dating from other introduction problems today?
* How central is reputation to the problem of CMI? To what extent is reputation scalable?
* How generalizable is the concept of computer-mediated introductions? Could a search engine be a form of CMI, but for websites, not people? What about advertisements, such as political advertisements?

==Notes==

<pre>
Lecture 15
----------

G1
- dating is long term, but other introductions are more short term
- could star ratings work for dating? probably not...unless looking for hookups
- could penalize new daters who have a bad first date
- reputation is the primary factor in CMIs
- record of many positive interactions -> increased trust
- human->website intro, goes back to narrative auth
- website->website, could use star rep system

G2
- uber closest to online dating, but time duration is very different
- amount of trust in dating is much higher than every other CMI
- stars definitely influence interactions
- behavior depends on context (kid at school vs at home)
- search engine is a form of CMI
- no matching in the actual ad, but ad targeting is a kind of CMI

G3
- dating differs in how much info you have to reveal versus other CMI
- reputation is central to CMI - uber, ebay, etc
- ratings are not so objective in dating
- reputation exists all over the place - e.g., online search
- CMI is definitely part of online advertisements

G4
- dating is a game problem: incentives for honesty, minimal communication, and deception depending on the party
- what are acceptable lies in an online profile?
- applies to other CMI problems
- advertisers are willing to fudge the truth!
- reputation is the most important factor in CMI
- how you calculate trust is very important, flaws will be exploited by adversaries
- search engines & advertisements, both CMIs
Dating: put out info to get a good match, limit info to maintain safety
search engines have different incentives but still there are opposing goals
- web sites don't need to make trust judgements of search engines, different from dating and other CMIs

Question: how could you game dating app reputation systems?
- get your friends to join <- difficult to stop
- sock puppet accounts <- only if auth can be gamed

Why do we care about reputation? When is it important?
- we use it to mitigate risk
(placing ourselves in a vulnerable situation)
- risk & relative power

Reputation is problematic with the Internet today, I think.
- AI
- fraudulent reputation signals (e.g., paid reviews, sock puppets)
- bots, automated attacks on reputation systems

If reputation doesn't scale in an evolutionarily stable way
- efforts to scale reputation will be attacked and circumvented over time
</pre>

EvoSec 2025W Lecture 15

2025-03-06T16:23:49Z

Soma: Created page with "==Readings== * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/obada-usec2017.pdf Obada-Obieh, "“Don’t Break My Heart!”: User Security Strategies for Online Dating." (USEC 2017)] * [https://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/~soma/pubs/obada-nspw2017.pdf Obada-Obieh, "Can I believe you?: Establishing Trust in Computer Mediated Introductions." (NSPW 2017)] ==Discussion Questions== * How different is dating from other introduction problems today? * How central is reputat..."