ICS-OS: A Kernel Programming Approach to Teaching Operating System Concepts

摘要

Traditional approaches to teaching operating systems re- quire students to develop simulations and user space ap- plications. An alternative is to let them modify parts of an actual operating system and see their programs run at kernel space. However, this is difficult to achieve using modern real-world operating systems partly because of the complex and large source code base. This paper presents ICS-OS and the experiences and results of using it for teaching an undergraduate operating systems course. ICS-OS is based on the DEX-OS kernel which has a smaller source code base compared to mainstream operating systems, making it ideal for instruction. The students were able to demonstrate a deeper understanding of how a real operating system works by their succesful implementation of projects to enhance and extend ICS-OS.