CMSI 387
OPERATING SY S T E M S
Spring 2009
Midterm Review Sheet
The midterm will take place as scheduled, on February 26. It will be open everything: book, notes, hand-
outs, and computer; thus, we’ll hold the midterm in the Keck lab. You may use either your own computer
or a Keck lab workstation. This guide should help you to prepare for the midterm properly.
Covered Material
The midterm covers the following areas, including
all handouts and sample code that have been dis-
tributed in support of this content:
•SGG Chapters 1–2, Sections 3.1–3.3, 8.1–8.2,
9.1–9.2, 10.1–10.4, 11.1, and 13.1–13.3
•Working knowledge of “power user”-type oper-
ating system activities and information (i.e., the
ability to access process details, memory, I/O,
and storage functions)
•Working knowledge of commonly-used com-
mands and how to connect them
•Working knowledge of how to configure and
build a Linux kernel
Sample Tasks and Questions
The following represent the types of questions or
tasks that you may be asked to accomplish:
•Perform some analysis, critique, or evaluation of
an operating system concept (design choices, op-
erating system roles [process management,
memory management, file systems, I/O], the
boot process) or structure (kernel, interrupts,
system calls, privileged vs. user mode, device
controllers and drivers, file system drivers)
•Describe a real-world computer issue or activity
in more precise, operating system-specific terms
(e.g., computer won’t boot, computer is slow,
“blue screen of death,” device doesn’t work with
a computer, laptop power management, dual-
boot computers, etc.)
•“Read” a given snapshot of processes (e.g., what
is a process’s ID, what is a process’s “lineage,”
which process was the first one created upon
boot-up, which process is using the most CPU
time, how much memory is a process using, etc.)
•Answer questions pertaining to redirecting/
rerouting I/O, whether on the command line or
over a network
•Answer questions pertaining to storage devices
and file systems, including but not limited to
determining disk usage, figuring out mounted
devices, and manipulating files
•Answer questions dealing with the process of
configuring and building a Linux kernel, such as
correcting possible problems or listing specific
steps or instructions