Operating Systems

Processes, memory, files and scheduling.

Operating Systems is taught here in 3 lessons, running from Processes and threads through to Files, permissions and I/O. Each lesson takes one topic, shows the working code, and links onward to the next, so the course can be read straight through in order.

TrackComputer Science Fundamentals
Lessons3
LevelBeginner
Reading timeabout 39 minutes
PrerequisitesHelpful, but not required: Computer Networks

Lessons

  1. Processes and threadsWhat a process owns, what threads share, how the scheduler switches between them, and how processes cooperate.
  2. Memory and virtual memoryAddress spaces, the stack and heap, paging and page faults, and how swapping and the OOM killer decide what survives.
  3. Files, permissions and I/OInodes, hard and symbolic links, the permission bits that matter, and how buffered versus direct I/O changes durability and speed.

More in Computer Science Fundamentals

Algorithms Data Structures Computer Networks Character Encodings Hashing & Checksums Data Formats Dates & Time Regular Expressions

FAQ

How long does the Operating Systems course take?
It has 3 lessons, about 39 minutes of reading. Expect roughly twice that if you type out and run every example.
Do I need prior experience for Operating Systems?
Not strictly. It helps to have read Computer Networks first, because some lessons build on it, but every lesson explains its own assumptions.
What should I read after Operating Systems?
Continue with Character Encodings (3 lessons), the next course in Computer Science Fundamentals.

Last refreshed 2026-09-18.