This class can be tough or tougher depending on when you start the projects. Overall, it's not as bad as some of the reviews say. The class has undergone some changes over the last few years, for the better I think.

The class, in my opinion, is less about operating systems and more about writing C/C++ libraries. The last two projects are all about making relatively large libraries to accomplish a certain task. The Reptilian Kernel is sort of just a backdrop for a coding environment that comes with its own challenges. The first project is the only one that actually has an effect on your code since you write kernel code. There are weekly quizzes based on lecture content, but you can use your notes. The quizzes were mostly just true/false/select all problems. The midterm was just a bigger lecture quiz with some written response and the final was the same.

I stopped going to lectures after the first week. If you took discrete structures with Dobbins, this class is better, but still not worth going to. The PowerPoints are available for download and have all the notes/lecture written as comments.

Coding in Reptilian requires you to SSH in and code in Vim or Nano. Don't do that. Download the VSCode SSH extension and the C++ extension and you're golden. If you see anyone coding in the terminal, please spread the good word of VSCode. The fact that they don't outright recommend this is criminal.

Hard as HELL, 20+ hour projects (x4) and 5+ hr exercises due every week. The assignment are a teach-it-to-yourself format and have nothing to do with the lectures content-wise. Then there are weekly quizzes (which are NOT trivial and refer to old lecture slide decks we don't have) on top of all this which test directly on the lectures. One midterm and one final (hard as ****, like most thing in this class).

I found him very difficult to follow and understand in lecture. He never finishes a sentence so everything seems very sporadic. Great wholesome guy tho, just not great and explaining.

Go buy a coffee maker bc you will need it.

Pretty difficult. Probably won't even understand what the projects want you to do at first. This is to get you to go through the Linux kernel. One project gets dropped at the end which is very nice. Quizzes and exams are much harder than they need to be.

Learned a lot, the material is naturally difficult and covers a wide breadth of topics.

Blanchard is a good teacher.

Just strap in and enjoy the ride.