CSE3320 Operating Systems
CSE 3320 is a core Computer Science and Engineering course at the University of Texas at Arlington that explores the fundamentals of computer operating systems. This course introduces many different aspects of modern operating systems. Topics may include process structure and synchronization, interprocess communication, concurrency and parallelism with threads, virtual memory, resource allocation, file systems, security, and distributed systems.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain, describe and identify key concepts, fundamental algorithms, and major structures in computer operating systems.
- Evaluate and synthesize applied computer operating system theory.
Info
Class Information
- Lecture
- Section 003 M/W 5:30 PM - 6:50 PM
- Section 002 M/W 7:00 PM - 8:20 PM
- Location
- 202 Nedderman Hall
- Course Syllabus
- Section 003: 5:30PM - 6:50PM
- Section 002: 7:00PM - 8:20PM
- Zoom Meeting
- 268 571 9880
- Slack
- cse3320.slack.com
- GitHub
- CSE3320 Fall 2025
- GitHub
- GitHub Classroom
Instructor
- Instructor
- Trevor Bakker (trevor.bakker@uta.edu)
- Office Hours
- Friday 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM, and by appointment
- Office Location
- 321 Engineering Research Building
Help Protocol
- Think
- Slack
- Think
- Think
- Office Hours
Teaching Assistants
- Teaching Assistant
- Bijay Bastakoti (bxb2270@mavs.uta.edu)
- Teaching Assistant
- Md Ahmded Al Muzaddid (mdahmedal.muzaddi@mavs.uta.edu)
Office Hours
Online Office Hours
Online office hours will take place in Zoom Meeting 268 571 9880. Please use the main session for general questions. If you have an individual question, then request a private breakout room.
If you need more individualized attention, please contact the instructor to schedule an appointment.
Schedule
| Unit | Date | Topics | Reading | Assigned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to CSE 3320 and Operating Systems | Mon 08/18 | Introduction and Chapter 1 | ||
| Wed 08/20 | Chapter 2 - Operating System Architectures | Homework 01 Assigned | ||
| Virtualization | Mon 08/25 | Chapter 7 - Virtualization | ||
| Wed 08/27 | Chapter 7 - Virtualization | |||
| Processes | Mon 09/01 | Labor Day - No class | ||
| Wed 09/03 | Chapter 8 - Process Concepts | Homework 01 Due | ||
| Mon 09/08 | Chapter 8 - Process Scheduling | Program 1 Assigned | ||
| Wed 09/10 | Chapter 8 - Threads | |||
| Mon 09/15 | Chapter 8 - Threads | |||
| Wed 09/17 | Chapter 9 - Synchronization and Deadlocks | |||
| Mon 09/22 | Chapter 9 - Synchronization and Deadlocks | |||
| Wed 09/24 | Exam 1 Review | Program 1 Due | ||
| Mon 09/29 | Exam 1 | |||
| Memory | Wed 10/01 | Chapter 10 - Memory Management | Program 2 Assigned | |
| Mon 10/06 | Chapter 11 - Advanced Memory Management | |||
| Wed 10/08 | Chapter 11 - Advanced Memory Management | |||
| Mon 10/13 | Chapter 12 - File Systems | |||
| Wed 10/15 | Chapter 12 - File Systems | |||
| Filesystems | Mon 10/20 | Chapter 12 - File Systems | Program 2 Due / Program 3 Assigned | |
| Wed 10/22 | Chapter 13 - File System Examples | |||
| Mon 10/27 | Chapter 13 - File System Examples | |||
| Wed 10/29 | Chapter 14 - Disk Scheduling and I/O | |||
| I/O | Mon 11/03 | Chapter 14 - Disk Scheduling and I/O | ||
| Wed 11/05 | Exam 2 | |||
| Networks and Security | Mon 11/10 | Encryption | ||
| Wed 11/12 | Chapter 15 - Networks | Program 3 Due / Program 4 Assigned | ||
| Mon 11/17 | Chapter 16 - Cybersecurity | |||
| Wed 11/19 | Chapter 16 - Cybersecurity | |||
| Mon 11/24 | Resumes | |||
| Wed 11/26 | Thanksgiving Holiday - No Class | |||
| Other | Mon 12/01 | Interviews | ||
| Final Exam | Wed 12/03 | Student Study Day - No Class | ||
| Thu 12/04 | Final Exam Review | Program 4 Due | ||
| Mon 12/08 | Final Exam - Section 001 Final Exam 8:15PM - 10:45PM | |||
| Wed 12/10 | Final Exam - Section 003 Final Exam 5:30PM - 8:00PM |
Requirements
Coursework
| Component | Points |
|---|---|
| Programs Programming assignments and any related quizzes. | 48% |
| Homework Homework assignments. | 2% |
| Midterm Exam #1 | 12.5% |
| Midterm Exam #2 | 12.5% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
Grading
| Grade | Average |
|---|---|
| A | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F | 0-59 |
Policies
Guide to the Honor Code
For the assignments in this class, you may discuss with other students and consult printed and online resources. You may not quote from books and online sources. You may not look at another student's solution, and you may not copy any portions of other's solutions. Furthermore, you may not utilize AI powered tools such as Co-Pilot, Tabnine, or ChatGPT for any of your programming assignments.
The following table summarizes how you may work with other students and use print/online sources:
| Resources | Solutions | AI Tools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | Allowed | Not Allowed | Not Allowed |
| Copying | Not Allowed | Not Allowed | Not Allowed |
Resources
Books
The Linux Command Line
William ShottsOnline Version
Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces
Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau Online Version
Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment
W. R. StephensAuthor's Web Page