Computer Organization

This course is an exposition of the central ideas in a computer system. Although the conceptual work is cased on a simulation system (PEP), students also complete many small scale C programs in order to interact with an actual system. Topics computer architecture, assembly language, operating systems, systems programming, processes, memory management, digital logic, and file systems.

Quotes (thanks to David Beiler for "capturing the moment"):

• Ali: It's a fractal in Emacs!!!! [everyone silent] Why am I the only one to find that sort of thing amazing?

• Ali: I should have been happy to hear that, but I'm too used to getting crap from my audience.
• Nate: We love you Ali!
• Ali: It's too late for that now.

• Ali: [takes attendance and realizes he is one student short of full-house] Alex is the only one who isn't here... He'll pay for this!

• Ali: [Explaining the concept of a Pep/8 register] It's like this... I have two knees. If I put one book on one knee, I can put the other book on the other knee.
  
• Chris: My understanding is less after that example.

• Srinjay: So in a multitasking OS, who takes care of where the object code is stored?
  
• Dave: His name's Jim.
  
• Rod: Kernel Jim.

• Ali: [Notices Odaro is reading the newpaper as the lecture starts] Can someone tell me if Odaro is really reading the paper?!
  
• Odaro: I'm not reading the paper!
  
• Nate: He's looking at the pictures...

• Srinjay: Why is it bad to write self-modifying code?
  
• Ali: It's like walking down the street and [bends over, grunts] rearranging your intestines.
  
• Mike: This is why I come to this class!

• Ali: Symbol tables allow a compiler to maintain type information so that you cannot make obvious mistakes. For example, you cannot do a `mod' on a float.
  
• Nate: So if something is a float, you can't treat it as an integer?
  
• Ali: Nope.
  
• Nate: Well that sucks.

• Steve: [Answers Ali's questions with a snappy tone] Index register!
  
• Ali: How much sleep did you get?
  
• Steve: A lot, actually.
  
• Ali: Well, sleep less.

• Ali: Are you sure it works that way?
  
• Sam: Yeah. But I don't remember if I tried it or just made it up.

• Ali: Forget Linux... Pep is the real threat to Microsoft.
  
• Mike: You're right! What can't it do?

• Pat: I don't think that addressing mode is that important.
  
• Ali: It IS! And I am not going to stop until you accept it is one of the most important things in life! Every time an array gets passed in C, the system does stack-index deferred addressing!

• Pat: [Vader Voice] I find your lack of syntax disturbing.

• Pat: [Trying to answer Ali's question] I don't know...
  
• Ali: I'll give you a hint: "Catfish"
  
• Pat: That's probably the vaguest clue I've ever heard.
  
• Ali: Actually, it wasn't a clue. I was trying to fool you.

• Ali: This is correct... it's just wrong, though.

• Chris: [Yelling from the back of the class, trying to write down what was on the projector] Wait, I couldn't see... Odaro was sleeping in the way.

• Ali: Let's just assume I'm not lying.