CS 429: Systems I

Latest Announcements

2/14: Assignment 2 due date updated
1/27: Lab 2 is available

Course Objectives

NOTE: Syllabus is still subject to change.

To understand the basic operation of computing hardware, how it works, and how it interfaces to software Upon completing this course, students should have a high-level understanding of the role played by compilers, assemblers, instruction sets, and hardware. Students will also learn system-level programming and apply their knowledge of computer architectures to programming for performance.

A significant component of this course is the laboratory, which will have required meetings for two hours each week, outside of lecture. Students will be expected to prepare in advance of the laboratory, perform in-lab exercises, and complete laboratory assignments on their own.

Lecture time: TTH 14:00 - 16:00
Location: UTC 3.122

Lab time (52905): F 8:00 - 10:00
Location: PAI 5.38

Lab time (52910): F 10:00 - 12:00
Location: PAI 5.38

Lab time (52915): F 12:00 - 14:00
Location: PAI 5.38

Course Staff

Teaching Assistants

Name	Email	Office	Office Hours
Tyler Smith	tms (at cs dot utexas dot edu)	PAI 5.33 desk 3	Wed 10:00 - 11:00

Instructor

Name	Email	Office	Hours
Owen Hofmann	osh (at cs dot utexas dot edu)	ACES 6SEo3f	Fri 15:00 - 16:00

Textbooks

Required: Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective (2nd Edition) by Bryant and O'Hallaron

Recommended: The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie

Grading

Your final grade for the course will be based on the following approximate weights:

50-60% Exams
30-40% Labs
5% Homework
5% Class Participation

The course will include two in-class exams and a third exam on the last day of class, but held at 5pm. The third exam lasts 3 hours, and mostly focuses on the material from the last third of the course, but will include some questions from throughout the course.

Course Policies

Collaboration

Students are encouraged to talk to each other, to the course staff, or to anyone else about any of the assignments. Assistance must be limited to discussion of the problem and sketching general approaches to a solution. Each student must write out his or her own solutions to the homework. You should identify all collaborators in writing in your homework.

The student code of conduct is here.

Late Policy

You have four (4) slip days for you to use at your discretion throughout the semester. Handing in a lab any time within 24 hours of its being due costs one slip day. There is no grade penalty for using a slip day. Once your slip days are used up, it is up to the discretion of the TA and instructor as to whether a late assignment is even graded.
If you become ill: Contact the instructor and get a medical note. A medical note is required to miss an exam.

Credit

The course materials are mostly derived from Bryant and O'Hallaron, Computer Systems A programmer's perspective. Additional material comes from Professors Stephen Keckler, Mike Dahlin, Donald Fussell and Warren A. Hunt Jr.