If you were to write a book about operating systems...

If you were to write a book about operating systems...

[Eric Krout]

would you use Java as your means of illustrating particular concepts?

The reason I ask is that I find fault with the course I'm currently
taking because the text that our curriculum is based on does just this. 
Now, granted, we have written some C code during labs, but that doesn't
cut it for me.

I realize I'm no Linus or Alan (yet ;-), but I think you can understand
where I'm coming from on this particular issue.

Sorry if this message is a bit off-topic, but I figured the folks on
this list would be able to generate some insightful comments.

Re: If you were to write a book about operating systems...

[Samuel M. Stringham]

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On Mon, 2002-02-25 at 15:48, Eric Krout wrote:
> would you use Java as your means of illustrating particular concepts?
> 
> The reason I ask is that I find fault with the course I'm currently
> taking because the text that our curriculum is based on does just this. 
> Now, granted, we have written some C code during labs, but that doesn't
> cut it for me.
> 

Well, the book you are talking about is the dinosaur book is it not? 
The reason they use this is for more cross platform opportunities and to
stress that operating system procedures are not a bunch of MicroSoft API
calls (as was the main downfall of the old way the class was taught with
the first edition of the dinosaur book).  Though the book is light on
implimentation it is rather useful for ideas and concepts.  This book
and their authors actually came highly recommended from this list
earlier.

Hope this helps

Samuel Stringham


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Re: If you were to write a book about operating systems...

[Rik van Riel]

On 25 Feb 2002, Eric Krout wrote:

> would you use Java as your means of illustrating particular concepts?

No.  Java doesn't have pointers or explicit memory management.

This means it cannot do some of the things that real OSes tend
to do all the time, in all pieces of real OS source code.

While a course using Java might be able to tell you about the
principles of OSes, it won't help you understand the worst
magic going on in the source code of real OSes...

regards,

Rik
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