FAQs
Registration
Do I need to take other CS 200+ classes before taking this course?
Not really. As long as you have taken 154 or a similar course before, and you feel good about your C programming skills, then you should do fine in this class. For other questions related to registration, meet the instructor on the 1st day of class.
I’ve only taken CS154 but not other CS200 classes (or I’ve taken CS154 and only one CS200 system-related classe), will I “survive” this class?
If you enjoyed 154 and don't have any problem with heavy C programming, you should be doing fine in 230.
See 230 class evaluations so you get the sense of the class workload. As mentioned above, expect the projects to be less loaded this Fall (due to remote teaching).
I am a registered student at the Student Disability Services (SDS), can you let me know how my exams will be arranged?
For students who are registered with the Student Disability Services (SDS), if you need special accommodation for exams (or the class in general), please (1) ask the SDS office to send the instructor emails stating that you're registered at SDS, (2) tell the SDS office that the instructor will provide special arrangement for you, i.e. the SDS office does not need to proctor the exam, (3) email all the instructors (in one email) and let us know your needs (e.g. 1.5x exam time, laptop access for typing, silent/smaller room) and we will accommodate that, and (4) most importantly email the instructors again one week before the exam to get the final information about the logistics. (5) As the exam will be during the class time. If you need extra time, you need to let the instructor know (in the same email above) whether you are available 1 hour before or after the exam. (6) If by 2 days before the exam, you haven't received an email about the location of the special room reserved for you, you should email the instructor ASAP.
Please use email title "230 special accommodation [your UCNetID]". For exams, we prefer you to be proctored by our TAs (rather than doing it in the SDS office). This way you can ask questions to us during the exam. Hence, you do not need to put a request to SDS to be proctored there, you just need to ask SDS to send us an email stating that you are registered at SDS. We will handle the exam logistics our own way.
Course content
What textbooks are required?
Textbooks are not required. We plan to use this free online book (the OSTEP book) graciously provided by Prof. Arpaci-Dusseau(s) of UW Madison.
I'd like to prepare for the course this summer. Any suggestions?
Yes, there are two things that you could do. First, go over the first chapters of the OSTEP book. Second, play around with Pintos; this is the educational operating system that we will use.
What programming language we will use?
We will use the C programming language.
Will you release the answers for the "..." in the slides?
Just watch the videos. You'll get the answers there.
Will you release the softcopy files of the in-class (non-graded) T/F quizzes? Will you release the answers for the T/F quizzes?
No, you need to come to the class to participate and get the answers.
I do not have access to certain websites under the class site.
The class webpages (under Google sites) are all should be accessible to you. If you reach to a page that tells you that you don't have access and you must click the "Share request" button, please do *not* click it. Basically what happened is that the link is still an old link that points to "2016" page. If you replace "2016" with "main", you'll land to the right page. And please let us know via Piazza, which was the link that wasn't updated. (and remember one more thing, some of our class materials can only be downloadable from *.uchicago.edu. If the page says "permission denied", please use UChicago VPN or download within campus network).
For PhD Students:
There is no waiver. If the class is full, you must wait until enrollment goes down. Enrolling in either 230 or 330 does not matter; they are both the same and counted towards your systems core.
If the class is not full, and somehow you cannot register (e.g. it says consent is required), please talk to Megan. The class supposedly does not require consent.
[Note to the instructor, see/run: email 230]