Description

Operating Systems Fundamentals: Complete CS Primer

The goal of this Operating Systems Fundamentals Primer course is to help you understand the most important piece of software that almost every program interacts with: the operating system. In this course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of operating systems, covering both conceptual foundations and practical considerations for software engineers.

What You’ll Learn

• Conceptual foundations of operating systems.
• Practical applications and problem-solving techniques.
• How the operating system interacts with programs.
• Efficient and secure programming practices.

Course Content

Each module will cover a sequence of problems related to key operating system concepts. You will write short programs and ask yourself, “How is the operating system making this happen? How does my conceptual understanding explain the behavior I’m seeing?” By the end of each module, you should have a better overall understanding of operating systems, along with new strategies to make your programs more efficient and secure.

At the core of this course are the sequences of problems for each topic. Aim to solve each problem yourself, using the worked solutions and supplementary explainers as needed. While no textbook is strictly necessary, we highly recommend Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces (“OSTEP”) as a valuable supplement, suggesting specific chapters to read in conjunction with each set of problems. Additional resources from Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective will also be provided for those who already have a copy.

Most topics discussed will be broadly applicable to all operating systems; however, where specificity is needed, we will focus on the Unix family, particularly through the lens of the GNU/Linux operating system. We encourage you to run this operating system, if needed, as a virtual machine. The choice of Linux is based on its popularity and the availability of its entire source code, making it an excellent learning tool.

This isn’t merely a “Linux Course,” and most problems can be tackled on other operating systems, with specific exceptions relating to Linux-specific concepts like containers. The general principles discussed in the course tend to apply across different platforms, although specific interfaces may vary significantly. No prior knowledge of Linux is required to take this course.

Requirements

• No prior knowledge of operating systems is necessary.
• A computer with internet access is required.

Explore These Valuable Resources

• Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces
• Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective
• Linux Mint – Recommended for beginners

Explore Related Courses

• Software Development
• Programming
• Computer Science
• Linux
• Operating Systems