SOFTICE: Facilitating both Adoption of
Linux Undergraduate Operating Systems Laboratories and Students’ Immersion in Kernel Code
Alessio Gaspar, Sarah Langevin, Joe Stanaback, Clark Godwin
This paper discusses how Linux clustering and virtual machine technologies can improve undergraduate students’ hands-on experience in operating systems laboratories. Like similar projects, SOFTICE relies on User Mode Linux (UML) to provide students with privileged access to a Linux system without creating security breaches on the hosting network. We extend such approaches in two aspects. First, we propose to facilitate adoption of Linux-based laboratories by using a load-balancing cluster made of recycled classroom PCs to remotely serve access to virtual machines. Secondly, we propose a new approach for students to interact with the kernel code. Full Text
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