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15-213/18-213/15-513: Intro to Computer Systems (ICS)

Fall 2015

15-213/18-213: Lecture TR, 1:30-2:50, DH 2210
12 units

15-513: Videotaped lectures and recitations
(These will appear within 24 hours guaranteed, but typically within a couple of hours.)
6 or 12 units

The ICS course provides a programmer's view of how computer systems execute programs, store information, and communicate. It enables students to become more effective programmers, especially in dealing with issues of performance, portability and robustness. It also serves as a foundation for courses on compilers, networks, operating systems, and computer architecture, where a deeper understanding of systems-level issues is required. Topics covered include: machine-level code and its generation by optimizing compilers, performance evaluation and optimization, computer arithmetic, memory organization and management, networking technology and protocols, and supporting concurrent computation.

Course Syllabus (includes important rules on cheating, late assignments, regrade requests, etc.)

Prerequisite: 15-122

What's New?

  • Thu, Oct 8: C Boot Camp: The staff will be offering a C Boot Camp on Saturday, October 10, 2-4pm, in Rashid Auditorium (GHC 4401) to all interested students in 15-213, 15-513, and 18-213. You'll want to attend if you had trouble with the C puzzles in Monday's recitation or do not have experience programming in C. Boot camp won't be videotaped, but the slides will be posted afterwards.

  • Mon, Sep 14: Linux Boot Camp: The staff will be offering a Linux Boot Camp on Saturday, September 19, 2-4pm, in Rashid Auditorium (GHC 4401) to all interested students in 15-213, 15-513, and 18-213. You'll want to attend if you're not familiar with Linux or could use a refresher. We'll cover Linux basics such as using ssh and scp to login and copy files to the Shark machines, using vim to edit files, setting file permissions, the Linux file hierarchy, the Linux command line, and the distributed Andrew File system. Boot camp won't be videotaped, but the slides will be posted afterwards.

    Getting Help

    Email 15-213-staff@cs.cmu.edu
    TA Office Hours Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu (and Fridays following Thu due dates): 6:00-9pm (10:30 near due dates), WeH 5207, no appt needed. Here is the complete schedule.
    Walk-in Tutoring Mon and Wed, 8:30-11:00pm, Mudge Reading Room, no appt needed

    Course Materials

    Schedule Lecture schedule, slides, recitation notes, readings, and code
    Assignments Details of assignments, due dates, and policies
    Exams Information about quizzes, exams, and final
    Lab Machines Instructions for using the lab machines
    Resources Additional course resources

    Course Information

    For details See the course syllabus for details (below is just a few overview bits).
    Lectures TR 1:30-2:50 DH 2210
    Recitation Sections Section A: Mon 10:30-11:20, GHC 5222, Jenna MacCarley
    Section B: Mon 10:30-11:20, PH 226B, Franz Franchetti
    Section C: Mon 11:30-12:20, WeH 5310, Karthic Palaniappan
    Section D: Mon 11:30-12:20, GHC 5222, Ben Spinelli (Lead TA - Recitations)
    Section E: Mon 12:30-1:20, WeH 5310, Isaac Manjarres
    Section F: Mon 12:30-1:20, DH 2105, Jeffery Liu
    Section G: Mon 1:30-2:20, DH 2105, Aditya Shah
    Section H: Mon 1:30-2:20, WeH 5310, Celeste Neary
    Section I: Mon 2:30-3:20, WEH 5310, Ben Spinelli
    Section J: Mon 2:30-3:20, PH 226B, Shashank Goyal
    Section K: Mon 3:30-4:20, PH 226B, Monil Shah (Lead TA - Office Hours)
    Non-recitation TAs Dipayan Bhattacharya
    Debanshu Das
    Dhruven Shah
    Dhruv Saksena
    Ishant Dawer
    Kumar Vikramjeet (CMU-SV)
    Leelakrishna Nukala (CMU-SV)
    Peter Pearson (Lead TA - Exams)
    Shelton Dsouza
    Surbhi Motghare
    Yicheng Fang
    Textbooks Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron,
    Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, Third Edition, Pearson, 2016
      Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie,
    The C Programming Language, Second Edition, Prentice Hall, 1988
    Grading Composed from total lab performance (50%) and total exam performance (50%).
    Labs There are 7 labs, not evenly weighted. See the assignments page for the breakdown.
    Exams There is one midterm exam, online, proctored, closed book (20%).
    There is a final exam, online, proctored, closed book (30%).
    Home http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~213
    Questions Email to 15-213-staff@cs.cmu.edu. Visit office hours (see above)
    Blackboard We are not using Blackboard for this course.
    Piazza We are not using Piazza for this course.
    Course Directory /afs/cs/academic/class/15213-f15/

    Instructors

    Name Randy Bryant Franz Franchetti Dave O'Hallaron
    Contact randy.bryant@cs.cmu.edu, x8-8821 franzf@ece.cmu.edu, x8-8927 droh@cs.cmu.edu, x8-8199
    Office GHC 9125 HH A312 GHC 7517
    Office Hours TBD (or by appt) Thu 3:15-4:15 (or by appt) Tue 3:00-4:00 (or by appt)

    Course Assistant

    Name Angela Malloy
    Contact amalloy@cs.cmu.edu, 412-268-6914
    Office GHC 9114