Teaching operating systems using Turbo C

Abstract

Operating systems are an example of a subject that, given the right tools, can be taught in a practical manner, allowing students to understand, and hence appreciate, the internal workings of commercial operating systems such as VMS, Unix, or VM. Not surprisingly, the tools needed in an operating systems course are, at a minimum, a hardware testbed and a programming language into which algorithms can be translated. This paper describes how many of the salient points concerning operating systems can be covered in a practical manner using the PC and Turbo C.