CSE4221

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====== Course Announcements ======


===== September 3, 2008 =====

Start of classes.

The first set of lecture notes, Topic Study list,
and course information have been posted in the
course directory /cs/course/4221.  

===== September 4, 2008 =====

(1) The project and alternative project have been posted in the
course directory /cs/course/4221.

(2) Two sample alternative projects A and B, each consisting of two parts Part 1 and Part 2 respectively, have been posted in the course
directory. These documents provide detailed instructions on two possible ways to do parts (a)-(d) of the alternative project.

(3) Three computers in 1006b (Prism Robotics Lab) are available
for doing the alternative project for the course 4221M on the table in the left hand corner.
The three computers are named:

   cse4221-pc01
   cse4221-pc02
   cse4221-pc03

You will have to enter a password to use these hosts.
There are three AMCC PowerPC 440 EPx evaluation kits which can signed out with the Lab Monitor on duty.
If you wish to work on the alternative project and need the password to the host please e-mail me and I will e-mail the password to you.
As there may be more than one group of students using a host/kit, please save your work on your own USB key or CD after each user session to avoid the possibility of losing your work.

Please give enough room to robotics students while working or better yet, avoid using the lab when most of the robotics class is in there. Robotics students will use the lab for projects as well.

There will be times the lab will be closed during certain exams. The Dept will post advance notices but you should keep an eye on those, as you will not be able to get in during the posted closed times.

===== September 5, 2008 =====

I have just been informed by the Department that
one of the glass panels on the robotics lab roof is shattered.
The Department will find out next week when that could be replaced.
Unfortunately, in the mean time, students cannot enter the lab
during next week due to health and safety concerns.

I will inform you as soon as the lab becomes accessible again.


===== September 17, 2008 =====

Reading material for the next few lectures:

- Lecture notes OSD.2; OSD.3. Suggested readings: Operating System Concepts, 7th Ed.:
      Chapter 10 File System Interface;
      Chapter 11 File System Implementation.
- Lecture notes OSD.4; OSD.4.1. Suggested readings: Understanding the Linux Kernel, 3rd Ed.:
      Chapter 12 The Virtual File System;
      Chapter 18 The Ext2 and Ext3 Filesystems.

===== September 30, 2008 =====

I have received notice that the glass ceiling in the Robotics Lab has been repaired. If you wish to work on the alternative project, you may sign out the AMCC PowerPC 440 EPx board from the lab monitor on duty.

===== October 1, 2008 =====
There is no class on Wednesday October 1 due to Rosh Hashanah.
 
===== October 21, 2008 =====
COSC4221 Test 1 will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 17:30-19:00.
   Test 1 will include:
   (a) Material covered in the lectures from the beginning of the
       term up to and including the lecture on Monday October 20;
   (b) Material in the files OSD.1.pdf, OSD.2.pdf, OSD.3.pdf,
       slides 1-64 of OSD.4.pdf, in the course directory;
   (c) Material in Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 of the book "Operating 
       System Concepts", 7th Ed;
   (d) Material in Chapter 12 of the book "Understanding
       the Linux Kernel", 3rd Edition.
   (Please make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of the
   slides in the above mentioned files, as some of the slides may have
   been updated since you last downloaded them.)

   It is possible that Test 1 may include true/false questions,
   questions that require short answers, questions that may require
   the drawing of diagrams, questions that require slightly longer
   answers, and other possible question formats.

   MAKE SURE YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE SLIDES.

   ALSO NOTE THAT DRAWING THE SAME KIND OF DIAGRAMS AS
   ILLUSTRATED IN THE SLIDES, WILL BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF TEST 1.

===== January 29, 2009 =====
The Back-To-Work-Legislation was passed today, formally ending the CUPE 3903 strike at York. According to the "Important Dates" published on the York University website, classes will resume on Monday February 2. (http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/importantdates/fw08.htm)

===== February 2, 2009 =====
Welcome back to classes! The resumption of classes for CSE4221 will start on Monday February 2, 2009, 17:30-19:00, at CB120. Please see the "Important Dates" on this course website for changes to due dates for Topic Study 2, Test 2, and the Project for CSE4221.
 
Note that due to the special circumstances created by the strike by CUPE 3903, CSE4221 Fall Term 2008 students have the choice of either being subject to the original evaluation scheme, or being subject to an alternative evaluation scheme. The details including weight percentages and due dates of each component of course work in each evaluation scheme can be found in the file /cs/course/4221/4221info_revised.pdf in the course directory.

===== February 4, 2009 =====
- The marks for Topic Study 1 have been posted in the course directory /cs/course/4221. To see your marks, login to red.cse.yorku.ca using your CS account, then type the following command:
courseInfo 4221 2008-09 F

- The slides OSD.5.pdf have been posted in the course directory.

===== February 9, 2009 =====
- See FAQs for clarification about the scope of the project.

===== February 11, 2009 =====
COSC4221 Test 2 will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 17:30-19:00.
   Test 2 will include:
   (a) Material covered in the lectures, with emphasis on material
       covered in the lectures since Test 1 and up to and including
       the lecture on Wednesday February 11;
   (b) Material in the slides 65-end of OSD.4.pdf, OSD.4.1.pdf,
       OSD.5.pdf, OSD.6.pdf in the course directory;
   (c) Material in Chapter 13 of the book "Operating 
       System Concepts", 7th Ed;
   (d) Material in Chapter 18 of the book 
       "Understanding the Linux Kernel", 3rd Edition.
   (Please make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of the
   slides in the above mentioned files, as some of the slides may have
   been updated since you last downloaded them.)

   It is possible that Test 2 may include true/false questions,
   questions that require short answers, questions that require
   calculations, questions that may require the drawing of diagrams,
   questions that require writing short programs using pseudo C code
   similar to that used in the slides, questions that require
   slightly longer answers, and other possible question formats.

   MAKE SURE YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE SLIDES.

   ALSO NOTE THAT DRAWING THE SAME KIND OF DIAGRAMS AS
   ILLUSTRATED IN THE SLIDES, WILL BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF TEST 2.

===== February 16, 2009 =====
Monday February 16 is a public holiday (Family Day) - no class

===== March 11, 2009 =====
The unofficial grades for CSE4221 Fall 2008 have been posted in the infoFile in the course directory.