CSaP

Computer Systems and Programming (2025 - 2026)

Teacher: Danilo Francati – francati [AT] di.uniroma1.it

Class Timetable

Monday h.08:30/10:00 – Aula 201, RM112, Edificio D, Viale Regina Elena 295.
Tuesday h.13:00/16:00 – Aula Magna, RM111, Viale Regina Elena 295.

Lectures will be delivered in presence.

Office Hours

By appointment.

Students can always use email and/or schedule a webmeeting.

CSAP Google Group

A group has been created in order to allow communication, sharing of information, etc.

Students are invited to send me an email including their name, surname, student ID (matricola), and institutional email address in order to be added to the group. The group will be used for last-minute communications and for sharing course materials such as code and slides. Students should use their institutional email address (lastname.studentID@studenti.uniroma1.it) to get added to the group.

Objectives

The course is mainly focused on system programming for Unix/Linux systems.

The objective is to make students able to understand, write and modify programs interfacing with the Linux operating system and its kernel source code.
More precisely, we expect the students to acquire knowledge of:

the C language and the tools normally used in the development environment (compiler, preprocessor, shell, etc.)
the fundamental functions of the operating system and its main modules (Scheduler, Virtual Memory Manager, Filesystem, …)
the main system primitives for the creation and synchronization of processes, exchange of messages and information (this is the core of the course)
basic methods for network programming (sockets)

At the end, the students are provided by operating system and integrate them correctly into the code:

choose the most suitable OS components and functions, based on the needs of the application and their execution mode.
determine the complexity and how to implement a system application.
acquire the methodology for application development, in order to justify and explain the reasons behind the choices.
continue learning by examining, in depth, the more advanced components of the operating system.

Prerequisites

Formal pre-requisites for the course are the same as the prerequisites for enrollment to the Master in Cybersecurity
(see requirements).

Our MSc takes for granted the subjects and contents covered in the Italian Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.
Our MSc offers an in-depth technical study aimed at training experts in Cybersecurity. Therefore, a high technological core is essential, regardless of the orientation chosen within your Study Plan.

In practice, you will need (at least):

mastery of one (preferably more) programming language(s)
understanding of computer architecture and operating system principles
understanding of computer network protocols (preferably TCP/IP)

Each student should have access to a Linux system (a VM is ok), including the compiler, development tools (make, debugger, etc.) and man pages.
Ubuntu 24.04 (or later) is the recommended platform.
To install Ubuntu using a VM see this link (virtualbox) or this link (UTM. Recommended for MACs).

Working natively on other devices, such as Mac or Windows laptop, while possible, is not recommended due to subtle differences in the compiler suite and OS interface.

Project (Final Examination)

The project is an individual work item, which must include appropriate documentation (Use cases, functional and non functional requirements, etc.).

Each academic year will have a different project.
As an example, this was the Project for AA2021-2022.

The code and the docs for the project must be sent by email a approximately week before the session where it will be reviewed/discussed.

The project must constitute an original creation, therefore it is not possible to share parts of the code or copy contents from other sources.

However, discussions between students, exchanges of ideas, use of mailing lists, chats, and in general everything that helps the student to learn are legitimate and appreciated (in case of doubts regarding which forms of collaboration are considered legitimate or not, it is better to explicitly ask for clarification).

The project consists of a C language program that satisfies a set of specified requirements, using the library calls that are part of the course program. The use of other calls is generally not accepted. If in doubt, ask the teacher.

The project code must correctly compile and execute in the required software environment (compiler version, kernel version, clib version).

The final grade will be based on the quality of the code, the completeness and clarity of the documentation, and the oral discussion of the project.

Evaluation criteria

Prerequisite: the code must correctly compile, link and start on Ubuntu 24.04 (or later).
Correctness of the code: main evaluation element that determine the passing of the exam.
Error handling: it is an integral part of the correctness of the code!
Modularity and readability of the code: division into functions, comments, function and variable names, etc.
Quality of documentation: user manual, software architecture, README file, project report.
Oral discussion: verification of the student’s understanding of the project, the design choices made, and the ability to explain and justify the implementation. The oral discussion may also include general questions about the course topics related to the project.

Program

These are the topics that are planned to be covered during the course.
Of course mileage may vary, depending on time available, etc.

Recap of the C programming language: variables, constants, operators, expressions, control instructions, functions, pointers, arrays, structures & unions, preprocessor directives
Programming environment: compiler, make & makefiles, gdb debugger
Operating system basics (Linux): processes, filesystem, inter-process communication primitives (signals, pipes, semaphores, shared memory)
Network programming: sockets