Shorten history of xv6

Cut section about commentary
Add (failing) link to xv6 source section pointing to the text.
Delete the incorrect/incomplete list of universities using jos/xv6
This commit is contained in:
Frans Kaashoek 2011-09-05 20:54:25 -04:00
parent 79bc8be8de
commit 5f46b272fe

View file

@ -43,22 +43,15 @@ systems Engineering</a>. We hope that xv6 will be useful in other
courses too. This page collects resources to aid the use of xv6 in courses too. This page collects resources to aid the use of xv6 in
other courses, including a commentary on the source code itself. other courses, including a commentary on the source code itself.
<p><font color="red">Status: The xv6 code is in pretty good shape, but
the commentary is rough.</font>
<h2>History and Background</h2> <h2>History and Background</h2>
<p>For many years, MIT had no operating systems course. In the fall <p>For many years, MIT had no operating systems course. In the fall of 2002,
of 2002, Frans Kaashoek, Josh Cates, and Emil Sit created a new, one was created to teach operating systems engineering. In the course lectures,
experimental course (6.097) to teach operating systems engineering. the class worked through <a href="#v6">Sixth Edition Unix (aka V6)</a> using
In the course lectures, the class worked through <a href="#v6">Sixth John Lions's famous commentary. In the lab assignments, students wrote most of
Edition Unix (aka V6)</a> using John Lions's famous commentary. In an exokernel operating system, eventually named Jos, for the Intel x86.
the lab assignments, students wrote most of an exokernel operating Exposing students to multiple systems&ndash;V6 and Jos&ndash;helped develop a
system, eventually named Jos, for the Intel x86. Exposing students to sense of the spectrum of operating system designs.
multiple systems&ndash;V6 and Jos&ndash;helped develop a sense of the
spectrum of operating system designs. In the fall of 2003, the
experimental 6.097 became the official course 6.828; the course has
been offered each fall since then.
<p> <p>
V6 presented pedagogic challenges from the start. V6 presented pedagogic challenges from the start.
@ -80,27 +73,18 @@ uniprocessors such as
enabling/disabling interrupts) and helps relevance. enabling/disabling interrupts) and helps relevance.
Finally, writing a new system allowed us to write cleaner versions Finally, writing a new system allowed us to write cleaner versions
of the rougher parts of V6, like the scheduler and file system. of the rougher parts of V6, like the scheduler and file system.
<p> 6.828 substituted xv6 for V6 in the fall of 2006. Based on 6.828 substituted xv6 for V6 in the fall of 2006.
that experience, we cleaned up rough patches of xv6. Since then, xv6
has stabilized, so we are making it available in the hopes that others
will find it useful too.
<p>
6.828 uses both xv6 and Jos.
Courses taught at UCLA, NYU, Peking University, Stanford, Tsinghua,
and University Texas (Austin) have used
Jos without xv6; we believe other courses could use
xv6 without Jos, though we are not aware of any that have.
<h2>Xv6 sources</h2> <h2>Xv6 sources</h2>
The latest xv6 is <a href="xv6-rev5.tar.gz">xv6-rev5.tar.gz</a>. The latest xv6 is <a href="xv6-rev5.tar.gz">xv6-rev5.tar.gz</a>. We distribute
We distribute the sources in electronic form but also as the sources in electronic form but also as a printed booklet with line numbers
a printed booklet with line numbers that keep everyone that keep everyone together during lectures. The booklet is available as <a
together during lectures. The booklet is available as href="xv6-rev5.pdf">xv6-rev5.pdf</a>. The xv6 source code is licensed under
<a href="xv6-rev5.pdf">xv6-rev5.pdf</a>. the traditional <a href="http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php">MIT
The xv6 source code is licensed under the traditional <a href="http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php">MIT license</a>; license</a>; see the LICENSE file in the source distribution. To help students
see the LICENSE file in the source distribution. read through xv6 and learn about the main ideas in operating systems we also
distribute a <a href="book-rev6.pdf">textbook/commentary</a> for the latest xv6.
<p> <p>
xv6 compiles using the GNU C compiler, xv6 compiles using the GNU C compiler,
@ -115,89 +99,10 @@ can be found on the <a href="../2010/tools.html">6.828 tools page</a>.
<h2>Xv6 lecture material</h2> <h2>Xv6 lecture material</h2>
In 6.828, the lectures in the first half of the course introduce the In 6.828, the lectures in the first half of the course cover the xv6 sources and
PC hardware, the Intel x86, and then xv6. The lectures in the second text. The lectures in the second half consider advanced topics using research
half consider advanced topics using research papers; for some, xv6 papers; for some, xv6 serves as a useful base for making discussions concrete.
serves as a useful base for making discussions concrete. The lecture The lecture notes are available from the 6.828 schedule page.
notes are available from the 6.828 schedule page, and the chapters of
the commentary are below.
<h2>Xv6 commentary (rough)</h2>
<p>The chapters are rough drafts.
<p>Introduction yet to be written.<br>
<ul>
<li>read with the code side by side
<li>code references look like (xxxx) or (xxxx-yyyy) in small text.
<li><a href="xv6-rev5.pdf">this pdf</a> is the one with matching line numbers.
<li>each chapter starts with an introduction to the topic,
spends most of the text on code,
and then wraps up talking about how xv6
compares to real-world operating systems.
</ul>
<a href="unix.pdf">Chapter 0: Operating system interfaces</a>
<blockquote>
The Unix system call interface. (rev 4)
</blockquote>
<a href="boot.pdf">Chapter 1: Bootstrap</a>
<blockquote>
From power on to kernel start. (rev 4)
</blockquote>
<a href="mem.pdf">Chapter 2: Processes</a>
<blockquote>
Memory and process allocation, segments, the first user process. (rev 4)
</blockquote>
<a href="trap.pdf">Chapter 3: Traps</a>
<blockquote>
Low-level trap mechanism, trap handler, system call arguments, sbrk, fork.
</blockquote>
<a href="lock.pdf">Chapter 4: Locks</a>
<blockquote>
Locks and interrupts.
</blockquote>
<a href="sched.pdf">Chapter 5: Scheduling and coordination</a>
<blockquote>
Scheduling, sleep and wakeup, pipes, wait and exit.
</blockquote>
<a href="disk.pdf">Chapter 6: Buffer cache</a>
<blockquote>
Buffer cache and IDE disk driver.
</blockquote>
<a href="fsdata.pdf">Chapter 7: File system data</a>
<blockquote>
Block in use bitmap, block allocation, inode structure, inode contents,
directories, path names.
</blockquote>
<a href="fscall.pdf">Chapter 8: File system calls</a>
<blockquote>
FIle descriptors, open, close, dup, read, write.
</blockquote>
<a href="exec.pdf">Chapter 9: Exec</a>
<blockquote>
Exec
</blockquote>
Appendix A: Low-level C and inline assembly
<blockquote>
Intro to C and inline assembly for people who only know Java (say).
Examples drawn entirely from xv6 source.
</blockquote>
Appendix B: Additional drivers.
<blockquote>
Keyboard, screen, probably MP hardware.
</blockquote>
<a name="v6"></a> <a name="v6"></a>
<h2>Unix Version 6</h2> <h2>Unix Version 6</h2>