CSCI4500 Operating Systems (Summer 2025)

Undergraduate course, UNO, 2025

An operating system is an abstraction of computer system hardware; it manages the sharing of various hardware and software resources among the users of the computer system. The parallel history of hardware and operating system development introduces many key concepts including, for example, processor modes, direct memory access (DMA), device controllers, and virtual memory. Basic approaches to kernel organization and implementation are considered. This is often the first course in which students encounter concurrency and concurrent programs. Additional topic areas include system performance evaluation (particularly relating to processor and memory management), security, virtualization, resource allocation and scheduling, and file systems.

Administrative Information

  • Instructor: Pei-Chi Huang
  • Email: phuang at unomaha dot edu
  • Office Hour: Tuesday 8AM -10AM via Zoom by appointment
  • CSCI4500: Students will learn from the recorded videos. (Location: Totally Online)
  • Course Schedule

Prerequisites:

CSCI 3710 (Introduction to Digital Design and Computer Organization), CSCI 3320 (Data Structures), and MATH 1950 (Calculus I). CSCI 4350 (Computer Architecture) is recommended; open only to students in the School of Engineering and declared Computer Science minors.

Silberschatz, Abraham, Peter B. Galvin, and Greg Gagne. Operating System Concepts, 10e Abridged Print Companion. John Wiley & Sons, 2018.

Supplemental materials

  • The online book Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces by Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau (indicated by OSTEP; this book is available for purchase at the site above if you prefer a print copy)
  • Tanenbaum and Woodhull, Operating Systems: Design and Implementation (3rd edition), Prentice-Hall (2006)

Get Odin account

You need to apply for an account at Odin: IS&T Core Linux Server to finish your programs. More details are shown below: https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-information-science-and-technology/about/odin.php. Please email to UNO IST support (Email: uno-ist-support at unomaha dot edu) if you have any questions about Odin. **Please get one asap. Don’t wait until the last-minute, always finish ahead of deadlines. **

Grading

If you have questions regarding the grading of homework, programming assignments, midterms and final, you MUST come to see the instructor WITHIN ONE WEEK after the date your homework, programming assignments, or exams have been returned to you.

Grading Type

Letter grades will be determined using the weighted average of the various items used to evaluate students. A typical grade mapping is illustrated below.

RangeGrade
100% to 97%A+
<97% to 94%A
<94% to 90%A-
<90% to 87%B+
<87% to 84%B
<84% to 80%B-
<80% to 77%C+
<77% to 74%C
<74% to 70%C-
<70% to 67%D+
<67% to 64%D
<64% to 60%D-
<60% to 0%F

Late Policy

Homeworks and Programming Assignments are subject to late penalty. Here is the point deduction policy: 20% deduction (late by 1 day), 40% deduction (late by 2 days), 80% deduction (late by 3 days), and no credit if late by more than three days.

Contact the instructor in case of a medical emergency, and a written proof from your doctor is required. You are allowed to extend one more day after the approval.

Academic Integrity

You may discuss the homeworks and assignments with anyone and use any reference materials, but provided you do not copy any other person’s work. We will follow the University Policy on Academic Integrity regarding any cheating and plagiarism. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the contents of this page, as you are responsible for its contents.

Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are provided for students who are registered with Accessibility Services Center (ASC) and make their requests sufficiently in advance. For more information, contact ASC (Location: 104 H&K, Phone: 402.554.2872, Email: unoaccessibility@unomaha.edu


Schedule

This schedule, and the links contained in it, are subject to change during the semester. Exam dates, however, are final. Readings from additional sources are linked from the schedule. All reading assignments are required and are expected to be completed before class on the scheduled day.

Module TopicAssignment
(to be completed before class)
0May 27 - May 30[Themes] & [Introduction to Operating Systems & History]Reading: ch.1
Homework 1 Available
Program 1 Available
1May 27 - May 30[Introduction to Operating Systems & History]Reading: ch.1
2June 2 - June 6[Operating Systems Structure]Reading: ch.2
Homework 1 Due (Upload to Canvas)
Homework 2 Available
Program 1 Due, 11:59pm
3June 2 - June 6[Operating Systems Structure]
[Processes]
Reading: ch.3
3June 9 - June 13[Processes]Reading: ch.4
OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at “Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling”)
Homework 2 Due (Upload to Canvas)
Homework 3 Available
Program 2 Available
4June 9 - June 13[Threads & Concurrency]
[CPU Scheduling]
Reading: ch.5
CPU Scheduling
The Multilevel Feedback Queue
5June 16 - June 20[CPU Scheduling]Reading: ch.6
OSTEP Lock (skip 28.8-28.11)
Homework 3 Due (Upload to Canvas)
Homework 4 Available
Program 2 Due, 11:59pm
6June 16 - June 20[Process Synchronization]Reading: ch.7
OSTEP: Monitors
Midterm Anytime, 75 mins
7June 16 - June 20[Synchronization Example]Reading: Ch.8
8June 23 - June 27[Deadlocks]
[Main Memory]
Reading: ch.9
OSTEP Address Spaces
Homework 4 Due (Upload to Canvas)
Homework 5 Available
Program 3 Available
9June 23 - June 27[Main Memory]
[Virtual Memory]
Reading: ch.10
10June 30 - July 2[Virtual Memory]
[Put It All Together]
Reading: ch.11
Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2
Homework 5 Due (Upload to Canvas)
Program 3 Due at 11:59pm
10July 3 Final Exam Reading: textbook, supplemental materials, and all slides
Anytime, 120 mins