Structured linux kernel projects for teaching operating systems concepts

Abstract

Linux has emerged as a widely-used platform for enabling hands-on kernel programming experience to learn about operating system concepts. However, developing pedagogically-effective programming projects in the context of a complex, production operating system can be a challenge. We present a structured series of five Linux kernel programming projects suitable for a one semester introductory operating systems course to address this issue. Each assignment introduces students to a core topic and major component of an operating system while implicitly teaching them about various aspects of a real-world operating system. Projects are of modest coding complexity, but require students to understand and leverage core components of the Linux operating system. The learning benefits for students from this approach include learning from real-world operating system code examples by expert kernel designers and gaining software engineering experience managing production code complexity. We have successfully used these structured Linux kernel projects to teach over a thousand students in the introductory operating systems course at Columbia University.