COMPSCI 210 - Introduction to Computer Systems

Getting Started

Here are some steps to get you started with the course.

Log into the coursework.cs.duke GitLab: select OAuth2 and log in with your NetID.
Click over to the course repository and follow Getting Started. If you get a 404, make sure you are logged in at coursework.cs.duke.
To get started with C, follow the steps in the setup folder.
To get started with the gdb debugger, follow the steps in the debug folder.
Download the Facile doc PDF and read the first 4 pages.
Look at the course schedule and start on the Dive Into Systems (DIS) readings.

More on all of that below and elsewhere on this website. If you have any questions or problems please post on Ed.

All labs and projects involve C programming on the Linux OS. We use Duke’s VCM service to host containers for building, running, and debugging your programs. Pro tip: if you have trouble with your container, you can check its status or restart it through that website.
VSCode – We recommend using Visual Studio Code (VSCode). Be sure to get VSCode only from the official site controlled by Microsoft. The site also has documentation and other helpful materials. We recommend you install the VSCode Live Share extension in your container as it provides a way to share a view of your code with collaborators and/or TAs remotely.
GitLab and Git – We use the Git version control system and the CS GitLab service to distribute, store, and submit code for labs and projects. You must log in first (recommend to select OAuth and log in with your NetID) to see the links (else 404). Take time to set up Git for a smooth workflow. The “Getting Started” guide in the course Git repository shows how to set up your account and install cryptographic keypairs to connect it to your computers and your container. Also see the tutorial from Duke OIT. Remember to fork each lab/project individually, and commit/push often to protect your work.
You may be able to work with C code using native tools on your own computer, e.g., mac XCode command line tools and/or Docker. However, we can’t promise it works as expected, so we recommend that you use the VCM service.