Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Baccalaureate

Teleworking, also known as remote work, has become more relevant in recent years due to the accelerated digital transformation that the world of work has experienced. This modality of work refers to the possibility of carrying out tasks from any place that has Internet access, allowing employees to have more flexibility in terms of hours and geographic location.

Among the benefits of teleworking are the reduction of costs for the company in terms of infrastructure and services, the reduction of travel time for employees, the possibility of working with professionals from anywhere in the world and the improvement of the reconciliation between work and personal life. Additionally, it can be a viable option for people with disabilities or travel... Continue reading "How do computers affect the way people work spend free time?" »

Problem Statement

Explore the usage of basic Linux system calls.

Process Management System Calls

The system calls to manage processes are:

• fork(): Used to create a new process.
• exec(): Executes a new program.
• wait(): Waits until the process finishes execution.
• exit(): Exits from the process.

System calls used to get process IDs are:

• getpid(): Gets the unique process ID of the process.
• getppid(): Gets the parent process's unique ID.

Stat System Call

The stat system call retrieves information about files, specifically from their inodes. For instance, to get a file's size and name, you would typically use stat. Let's illustrate with a C code snippet (src/ls1.c):

#include<stdio.h>
#include<dirent.h>
#include<cstdlib>

struct dirent *dptr;

Intelligent Technology: ChatGPT and Communication

Intelligent technology like ChatGPT is a valuable tool for improving human communication. Intelligent chatbots can provide precise and efficient responses to questions and requests, improving the user experience and operational efficiency in various sectors, such as customer service, education, and healthcare.

Risks and Challenges of Intelligent Technology

Although intelligent technology presents certain risks and challenges, such as privacy and security of user data and perpetuating data biases, it is important to address these challenges to ensure ethical and responsible use of this technology.

Benefits of Intelligent Technology

Overall, intelligent technology like ChatGPT offers significant potential... Continue reading "ChatGPT: Enhancing Human Communication" »

1- The lottery is conducted on June 27th around ten o’clock. The titular lottery chooses one person from the town to be stoned to death every year for no other reason than tradition.

All the people of the town gather together and the heads of the extended families each draw one slip from the black box, but they do not unfold them until all the slips have been drawn. The one with the black dot on it goes to a second round of drawing to choose one household within the family. For the final drawing, one slip is placed in the box for each member of the household and the person with the black dot is stoned to death. In the story, this person is Tessie Hutchinson.

2- Old Man Warner responds to Mr. Adams who tells him that another village had given... Continue reading "Purpose and content of" »

Common English Idioms and Phrases

Here are some of the most common English idioms and phrases that will enrich your English vocabulary and make you sound like a native speaker.

1. ‘The Best of Both Worlds’

Means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.

Example: “By working part-time and looking after her kids two days a week she managed to get the best of both worlds.”

2. ‘Speak of the Devil’

This means that the person you’re just talking about actually appears at that moment.

Example: “Hi Tom, speak of the devil, I was just telling Sara about your new car.”

3. ‘See Eye to Eye’

This means agreeing with someone.

Example: “They finally saw eye to eye on the business deal.”

4. ‘Once in a Blue Moon’

An event... Continue reading "25 Common English Idioms and Phrases to Sound Like a Native" »

Application Software

System Software

Operating System

Why OS?

Operating System Function

OS Goals

Types of Operating Systems

• Single Process Operating System
• Batch-Processing Operating System
• Multiprogramming Operating System
• Multitasking Operating System
• Multi-Processing Operating System
• Distributed System
• Real Time OS

Program

Process

Thread

Multi-tasking vs Multi-Threading

Thread Scheduling

Thread Context Switching vs Process Context Switching

User Space

Kernel

Functions of Kernel

• Process Management
• Memory Management
• File Management
• I/O Management

Type Of Kernel

• Monolithic
• Micro
• Hybrid
• Nano

System Calls

Types

• Process Management
• Device Management
• File Management
• Information Management
• Communication Management

Firmware: SW embedded in HW (microprocessor -> microcontroller)

What

What If Everyone Did It? (Immanuel Kant)

• If you help because it hurts you, it is not a moral action.
• Morality depends on what you do and why you do it.
• You should never lie.
• We all have an absolute duty to tell the truth → Categorical imperative (order).
• We act on the basis of “maxims”. For something to be moral, it must be applicable to everyone (maxims applicable in all cases).
• Always ask yourself the question of what if everyone did it?

Such Practice (Jeremy Bentham)

• Panopticon (a machine to make rogues honest).
• Utilitarianism or the Principle of Greatest Happiness → It consists of the idea that what is correct is what produces the greatest happiness.
• Happiness is pleasure and absence of pain. We seek pleasurable experiences and avoid painful

Room to Grow (John Stuart Mill)

- He was a genius, raised on utilitarianism.

- There are different types of pleasure, and some are better than others.

- Anyone who has experienced high and low pleasures prefers the high.

- Paternalism: Forcing someone to do something for their good (acceptable only in children).

- The Harm Principle: Every adult should be free to live as they want as long as they do not harm anyone.

- The more freedom, the happier.

Unintelligent Design (Charles Darwin)

- Everyone has apes in their family tree; we are part of nature.

- His theory explains how human beings, plants, and animals have come to be what they are and how they are still changing.

- You cannot be a Darwinian and also believe that God created all species as they... Continue reading "Philosophical Insights: Mill to Freud" »

Learning from Mistakes: Popper and Kuhn

Science progresses not by proving theories right, but by recognizing when our understanding of reality is false. Scientists actively try to disprove their theories.

• Induction: If you observe that it rains every Thursday for four weeks, you might conclude that it always rains on Thursdays.
• Science aims to avoid the problem of induction.
• Scientists propose a hypothesis and then test it, seeking evidence that could falsify it. If falsified, the hypothesis is rejected.
• Kuhn: Argued that there are no objective facts waiting to be discovered. Progress occurs through "paradigm shifts," where existing frameworks of thought are overturned.

The Runaway Train and the Unwanted Fiddler

These thought experiments by Philippa... Continue reading "Key Philosophical Concepts: From Popper to Singer" »