-*- text -*-
-* Remove names from synchronization primitives? They don't seem
- useful in practice.
+* Get rid of rox--causes more trouble than it's worth
-* debug_backtrace() in kernel should only dereference valid pointers.
+* Reconsider command line arg style--confuses everyone.
-* Mention how to use add-symbol-file in gdb.
+* pintos script doesn't (always?) delete temp disks
-* We need better and more example programs.
+* Finish writing tour.
- - Need an mmap example program as a replacement for the crappy mmap FAQ
- question.
+via Godmar Back:
- - How about `diff' and `cmp' programs?
+* Project 3 solution needs FS lock.
-* Threads:
+* Get rid of mmap syscall, add sbrk.
- - mlfqs tests suck. They aren't even correct, e.g. the amarv
- submission from win0405 is graded incorrectly.
+* Make backtrace program accept multiple object file arguments,
+ e.g. add -u option to allow backtracing user program also.
-* Userprog project:
+* VM projects do not use enough memory to force eviction.
+ Should reduce user limit or increase memory consumption.
+
+
+
+
+
+* process_death test needs improvement
+
+* Internal tests.
- - Don't emphasize that stuff needs to be copied from user space to
- kernel space. Instead, emphasize validation and suggest that
- copying is a common solution and that it will be necessary in
- project 3 and in real OSes. Also revise the grading criteria to
- match.
+* Improve automatic interpretation of exception messages.
+
+* Userprog project:
- Mark read-only pages as actually read-only in the page table. Or,
since this was consistently rated as the easiest project by the
Alternately we could just remove the synchronization on pid
selection and check that students fix it.
-* VM project:
-
- - Discuss the perils of mixing dirty bits between kernel and user virtual
- memory.
-
- - Sample solution.
-
- - Update grading/vm to reflect new mmap, munmap forms.
-
* Filesys project:
- - Increase maximum disk size from 8 MB to something that actually
- requires doubly indirect nodes. There is a negative pressure here
- from the bitmap object--perhaps we need a specialized bitmap that
- doesn't have to be all in-memory at once.
-
- Alternatively, shrink the inode size.
-
- - Add option to disable buffer cache.
-
- - Sample solution.
-
- Need a better way to measure performance improvement of buffer
cache. Some students reported that their system was slower with
cache--likely, Bochs doesn't simulate a disk with a realistic
speed.
- - Clarify effect of remove(cwd).
-
* Documentation:
- - Finish writing tour.
-
- Add "Digging Deeper" sections that describe the nitty-gritty x86
details for the benefit of those interested.
- Add explanations of what "real" OSes do to give students some
perspective.
- - GNU make 3.80 or later is required.
-
* Assignments:
- Add extra credit:
. opendir/readdir/closedir
. everything needed for getcwd()
-
-* Tests:
-
- - Release some of them.
-
- - The threads, userprog, vm test source files could use
- factorization and cleanup along the lines of fslib in the filesys
- tests.
-
- - The p1-4.c testcase needs significant tuning. Currently it takes
- too long (especially when SHOW_PROGRESS is turned on) and doesn't
- show significant improvement.
-
-* Code:
-
- - Need an optimization barrier and an explanation of it in the
- documentation.
-
- - Need to check the wait system call more thoroughly.