The projects are big and complex. Therefore it is permissible to discuss with other project groups about the project in general terms, how different routines/system calls work, high-level strategies for successful implementation, and help others debug their code and find problems.
However, you should not share your code directly with other project groups (e.g., by showing your code or scratch of your pseudo-code). Do not attempt to find solutions online or from previous years. We maintain a repository of old codes including all previous public online solutions, and we will run a very smart tool that can detect code duplication in many forms. Don't even try to challenge this tool. Discovery of any inappropriate code sharing will lead to harsh penalties for all involved parties. We want to emphasize that in the past we always catch teams that copied someone else' code.
If you have any further questions on the gray area between what is OK and what is NOT OK, please feel free to ask.
Take precautions so as to prevent someone from copying your code without your knowledge:
Make sure not to leave print outs on the printer.
Make sure your project directory is read-protected from public users (use ls -la and chmod to view and modify permissions). If you mount your CS account to your personal computer (e.g., mounting via SMB from a Mac Laptop), the permission flags shown in your personal computer might not represent the actual permissions. Please use the department-supported machines to check the permissions accurately.
Make sure your GitLab repository is read-protected (can be accessed only by using your groupname and password). Under "Settings --> Information", never check the "Public" checkbox. Leave it as is (it should be not checked by default).
To verify that the permissions are set correctly, you could always ask an external person (someone who is not your group partner) to access your project directory or git repository.
If you are re-taking the course (i.e. you dropped the class in previous years), you are NOT allowed to re-use your code, unless you show that you didn't have a partner back then, and everything was written solely by you. Again, we will compare your code with past years' code.
For more: University's standards for academic honesty and student conduct