Easier to read with cream paper, a tint, more contrast or larger text? Choose your colours and text, once, for every page.

Free module

How an operating system works

Learn how an operating system works hands on: scheduling, virtual memory, page replacement, files and deadlock, in a real Linux lab.

6 lessons325 min lessonCore computer science

The lessons

Each lesson is free to read in full. Create a free account to run its commands in a live lab and to sit its quizzes and tasks.

  1. 1 · Virtual machine lab

    Processes and CPU scheduling

    I can explain how the operating system shares the processor between processes.

    Read the lesson

  2. 2 · Virtual machine lab

    CPU scheduling: FCFS, SJF and round robin

    I can compare first come first served, shortest job first and round robin by their average waiting time.

    Read the lesson

  3. 3 · Virtual machine lab

    Virtual memory and paging

    I can turn a virtual address into a physical address with a page table.

    Read the lesson

  4. 4 · Virtual machine lab

    Page replacement: FIFO and LRU

    I can simulate FIFO and LRU page replacement and count the page faults.

    Read the lesson

  5. 5 · Virtual machine lab

    Files, inodes and directories

    I can explain how a path is turned into a file.

    Read the lesson

  6. 6 · Virtual machine lab

    Race conditions and deadlock

    I can explain a race condition and a deadlock.

    Read the lesson

Worked in a real lab

Every lesson of this module is worked in a lab started for you alone. The labs it uses:

Teaching a class? Set this module for your students with a teacher guide, marked assignments and a lab for every student.