Operating Systems – UNIX
Professors Dimitra Georgiou
Christos Manousopoulos
Course category Core
Course ID DS-210
Credits 5
Lecture hours 3 hours
Lab hours 2 hours
Digital resources View on Aristarchus (Open e-Class)

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of the course is to highlight the particular requirements and features of operating system multiprocessor systems, multi-computers, distributed systems and multimedia systems. Also it covers operating system’s security issues as well as the basic design principles. At the same time, emphasis is placed on the UNIX operating system (use and programming).

In this context, the learning outcomes of the course, after its successful completion, are that the students will be able:

  • to understand the basic concepts of operating systems for multiprocessing, multi-computing and distributed systems.
  • to know the basic security mechanisms (authentication, authentication, access control, etc.) that an operating system implements and the basic principles of designing an operating system.
  • to analyse, evaluate and justify alternative technologies / mechanisms of operating systems.
  • to design scripts for implementing specific functionalities at the operating system level.

Course Contents

  • Operating Systems for Multiprocessors, Multi-Computers and Distributed Systems.
  • Multimedia Operating Systems: Multimedia Files, Video Compression.
  • Time scheduling of Multimedia Files.
  • Security of Operating Systems: Threats, Attacks, User Identity Certification, Access Control Mechanisms.
  • Design principles of Operating Systems.
  • Smart Card Operating Systems: Multi-application support from a service provider, multi-application support, JAVA cards.
  • UNIX History and Basic Concepts: File System Navigation, UNIX shell, Utilities, The Kernel Structure.
  • UNIX Processes.
  • Memory management in UNIX.
  • Input – Output in UNIX.
  • The UNIX File System.
  • The Bourne shell: Use, shell Environment Adaptation, Redefining Input and Output.
  • Shell Programming: Variables, Flow Control, Regular Expressions, Signals.
  • System Management, User and Group Management, Disk Management and File Systems, Software Installation and Management.

Recommended Readings

  • Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Herbert Bos (2018), Modern Operating Systems, 4th American Edition.
  • Wrightson K. & Merlino J. (2001): Mastering UNIX.