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Quizzes > Engineering & Technology

System Programming Quiz

Free Practice Quiz & Exam Preparation

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 15
Study OutcomesAdditional Reading
3D voxel art showcasing System Programming course content

Get ready to test your knowledge with our engaging System Programming practice quiz. This quiz covers essential topics such as POSIX processes, process control, inter-process communication, memory management, file I/O, shell programming, socket network programming, and basic security mechanisms. It's an ideal resource for students looking to reinforce their skills and gain confidence in systems programming fundamentals.

In POSIX process control, which function is used to create a new process?
pipe()
wait()
fork()
exec()
The fork() function creates a new process by duplicating the calling process. It is the standard method in POSIX systems to spawn a new process, unlike exec() which loads a new program.
Which function is used to replace the current process image with a new program in POSIX systems?
exec()
pipe()
fork()
wait()
The exec() family of functions replaces the current process image with a new program, effectively transforming the process. This is distinct from fork(), which creates a new process, and wait(), which synchronizes process termination.
What is the main purpose of the wait() function in process control?
To make the parent process wait for a child process to terminate
To send signals to a process
To create a new process
To replace a process image
The wait() function causes the parent process to pause execution until one of its child processes finishes. This mechanism helps in cleaning up terminated child processes and prevents zombie processes.
What does IPC stand for in system programming?
Internal Program Communication
Inter-Process Control
Internal Process Control
Inter-Process Communication
IPC stands for Inter-Process Communication, which encompasses the methods used for processes to exchange data and signals. It is a key concept in systems programming for coordinating process interactions.
What is the primary purpose of a pipe in Unix-like systems?
To create new processes
To facilitate unidirectional data flow between processes
To execute programs
To manage process synchronization
A pipe is used to set up a unidirectional communication channel between processes, allowing data to flow from one process to another. This mechanism is fundamental in Unix-like systems for implementing simple inter-process communication.
What distinguishes fork() from exec() in POSIX system programming?
fork() is used for file I/O while exec() is used for network communication
fork() duplicates the process while exec() loads a new program into the current process
fork() loads a new program into the current process while exec() duplicates the process
fork() synchronizes processes while exec() terminates a process
fork() creates a new child process that is a duplicate of the parent, whereas exec() replaces the current process image with a new program. This distinction is fundamental in understanding process creation and execution flows in POSIX systems.
Which POSIX function is used to send a signal to a process?
fork()
kill()
wait()
exec()
The kill() function is used to send signals to a specific process, which can be used to request it to perform an action such as termination. The other functions are used for process creation and synchronization, not for signal delivery.
What is a zombie process?
A process that has completed execution but still has an entry in the process table
A process that is running in an infinite loop
A process that has been deliberately terminated by the user
A process that is waiting for I/O operations to complete
A zombie process refers to a process that has finished executing but still maintains an entry in the process table because its exit status has not been reaped by the parent. This situation usually occurs when the parent process fails to call wait(), leading to resource leakage.
Which synchronization primitive is commonly used to ensure exclusive access to a critical section in multi-threaded environments?
Barrier
Condition Variable
Semaphore
Mutex
A mutex is specifically designed to provide exclusive access to a shared resource, ensuring that only one thread can execute a critical section at a time. Although semaphores can also manage access, mutexes are more straightforward for simple locking scenarios.
What does the term 'race condition' refer to in concurrent programming?
The sequence of events in which processes execute deterministically
An error that occurs when multiple processes access shared data concurrently, leading to unpredictable results
A condition where processes compete for CPU time without errors
A process that is continuously running a loop
A race condition occurs when two or more processes or threads access shared data at the same time and the final outcome depends on the unpredictable order of execution. This can lead to erratic behavior and bugs that are hard to reproduce and debug.
Which system call is used to open a file descriptor in Unix systems?
close()
open()
fopen()
read()
The open() system call is used to open a file and obtain a file descriptor, which is essential for low-level file operations in Unix systems. While fopen() is part of the C standard library and returns a FILE pointer, open() directly interfaces with the operating system.
In shell scripting, which symbol is used to denote a variable?
@
&
#
$
In shell scripting, the dollar sign ($) is used to reference variables, allowing the interpreter to substitute their values. Other symbols like '#' are used for comments and do not serve this purpose.
In socket programming, which address family is used for IPv4 communication?
AF_LOCAL
AF_PACKET
AF_UNIX
AF_INET
AF_INET is the address family designated for IPv4 networking, and it is commonly used when setting up sockets for Internet communication. The other address families support different types of networking or local communication.
What is a primary advantage of using Remote Procedure Call (RPC) in distributed systems?
It reduces code complexity by replacing the need for error handling in distributed systems
It eliminates network latency by localizing all processes
It increases security by encrypting all data automatically
It abstracts the network communication details, making remote calls appear like local function invocations
RPC abstracts the complexities of network communication by allowing processes to call remote functions as if they were local. This simplification helps developers build distributed systems without managing the low-level details of socket programming.
Which tool is primarily used to trace system calls and signals during process execution in Unix-like systems?
ltrace
strace
gdb
valgrind
strace is a diagnostic tool that monitors the system calls and signals of a process, making it invaluable for debugging system-level issues. Unlike gdb, which is used for interactive debugging, strace focuses on the low-level interactions between the process and the kernel.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand and apply POSIX process creation and control techniques.
  2. Analyze and implement inter-process communication and synchronization methods.
  3. Apply shell programming concepts to handle file I/O and directory operations.
  4. Utilize debugging tools for effective system programming performance analysis.
  5. Evaluate socket network programming and RPC strategies within distributed systems.

System Programming Additional Reading

Here are some top-notch academic resources to supercharge your system programming journey:

  1. Introduction to Systems Programming: A Hands-on Approach This online book by Purdue University offers a comprehensive dive into system programming, covering topics from program structure to UNIX system programming and shell scripting.
  2. UNIX Application and System Programming Lecture Notes Prof. Stewart Weiss from Hunter College provides detailed lecture notes on UNIX system programming, including file I/O, process control, and inter-process communication.
  3. Unix Systems Programming Lectures Harvard University's CSCI-E28 course offers lecture materials covering topics like file systems, processes, and network programming, complete with outlines and source code.
  4. Operating System Engineering Lecture Notes and Readings MIT OpenCourseWare provides lecture notes and readings on operating system engineering, delving into processes, virtual memory, and file systems.
  5. CS422/522: Design and Implementation of Operating Systems Lecture Notes Yale University's course offers lecture notes on operating system design and implementation, covering memory management, concurrency, and security.
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