Course Syllabus


                               CMSC 421
                           Operating Systems
                              Fall, 1994


      Instructor:    Dr. Howard E. Motteler

      Class Time:    TuTh 2:30-3:45, Math/Psych Bldg, Room 103

      Office Hours:  TuTh 3:45-5:00, in ECS 225C

      Text:          Modern Operating Systems, by Andrew S. Tannenbaum


      Course Outline:

              Processes               Chapter 2       3 weeks
              Memory Management       Chapter 3       3 weeks
              File Systems            Chapter 4       2 weeks
              Input/Output            Chapter 5       1 week
              Deadlocks               Chapter 6       1 week
              Distributed Systems     Chapter 9       2 weeks

      All times are approximate.  We will also cover the the Unix case
      study (Chapter 7) and sections of the DOS case study (Chapter 8),
      concurrently with the material listed above.


      Grading:

              Projects                200  points
              Midterm                 100  points
              Final                   100  points
              Homework                 90  points
              Class Participation      10  points
                                      -----------
              Total                   500  points

      There are two moderate sized projects, to be done in C or C++.
      Projects are assigned three weeks in advance of their due dates.
      There are no extensions of due dates, and no incompletes, except
      as required by University policy.  At the instructor's option
      partial credit may be given for late projects.  Projects are
      turned in with a special "submit" program, and get zero points if
      they do not compile.  Project assignments and other information
      relevant to the course is given in the form of Unix files that are
      accessible from your account.

      The midterm exam is given after the end of Chapter 3, the chapter
      on Memory Management.  There are four or five homework assignments,
      one every two or three weeks.  Class participation consists mostly
      of showing up, being reasonably well behaved, and at least pretending 
      that the lectures are interesting.  Students are encouraged to ask 
      questions, both in class and during office hours.