Fraxer

So here's my vijaydashmi gift to my classmates - for their unity in deciding to bunk the OS mid-lab. The third question in the list - process scheduler using signals and context switching. This is not for the studs of the class who can or plan to do it on their own. This is for the rest - those who can't do it or don't wanna do it. I won't say it's perfect - but it worked fine for me. If ya find any faults, please leave a comment. And if ya like this post, a thanks would do.


Download here

So now once again, our internet is being monitored (well, it has always been, but now, even more so). The situation is not as bad as the catastrophic day last week. Yet it’s appalling.

In order to look more professional, they have created an error page this time with two major error messages :
• Weighted phrase limit exceeded.
• Banned extension: .exe

Now I really don’t know what the first one means – I suppose they are banning sites which many people visit and which they feel do not fall into the category they call educational sites. The second one is obvious – so now we are prohibited from even downloading new softwares, updating our antivirus et al.

If it was some service they are offering free of cost. No would’ve really bothered. But they take thousands of bucks from us in the name of internet fees and now this. When colleges like IITs don’t bother regulating the internet connections given to their students, I wonder why NITW is trying so badly to establish its authority over its students. If some regulation was really needed, they can register the mac addresses of each computer so that they can monitor each student personally and take specific actions in case someone acts unethically. But no – instead they block the net given to all students just coz of one odd nutter in the college.

I hope someone can knock some sense into this orthodox sect of people. They need to understand that the more they try to stop someone from doing something, the more they’re instigating them to do that very thing. I think Harry Potter fans might remember Hermione’s words from the Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge banned Quibbler in Hogwarts, “If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!”

The human brain acts funnily – they better understand that before they start to overdo things, which they feel are long overdue (I like the combination of overdo and overdue – sounds nice nay)! What they’re trying to do is not wrong, but how they’re trying to do is. I guess they better do a viability check before implementing their plans of action – or else it would be a repeat of last week’s fiasco.

If it happens I guess might quote Bernard M. Baruch, “Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequence of action without thought.”

Or even Mary Beard, “Study without action is futile. Action without study is fatal.”

So today, we were to have our Operating Systems (OS in short) Mid-lab exam. And our teacher for one, normally doesn’t cancel or postpone exams so easily. So we reached there at 10 in the morning and waited for him to come.

Meanwhile, we were reminded of the problem at hand – none of the computers had a mouse. And the Graphical User Interface (GUI) won’t load without a mouse. The lab attendant (should I call him so) told us to talk to our teacher. So we continue waiting for him.

Tick tock tick tock….an hour passes – he doesn’t come. Loads of speculations flying around, “Maybe the lab exam is only for 2 hrs – he’ll come now.” “Maybe he’ll keep it next week.” And the sorts… Another hour passes…still no sign of him. Now the probability of the exam happening was below 0%. So we breathe a sigh of relief. But then, he finally makes his entry in the lab.

And he says very little and to the point, “Only two questions. (1)What did you do in the last 4 days!? (2) What did you do in the lab today!? Come according to your roll number, answer these and go.” Well, for the second one, everyone had only one answer – nothing!!! Most of the people didn’t even bother to log in. That was expected – he kept us on tenterhooks for two hours and now this.

All it did was add a collection of zeros in his register. Nothing else. But then – was it a lucky break or a start to a catastrophe!?
• Anyways, very few will get output no matter when the exam is.
• On top of that, we screwed our lab credits for a week.
• And we don’t know when he’ll keep the exam.

Too much to speculate – maybe he’ll surprise us later.

But as Jane Austen says (she happens to be my favourite author), “Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.”

Keep your fingers crossed buddies...