Processes, Threads, and System Calls
Processes isolate resources; threads share an address space; system calls cross into the kernel to request privileged work.
Planned model
Trace one operation through user code, a syscall boundary, kernel work, blocking, wake-up, and return. Show which state belongs to the process, thread, and kernel.
Questions
- What is shared by threads and what remains per-thread?
- Which ordinary-looking operations can enter the kernel or block?
- What must be saved during an execution-context switch?
Exercise
Trace the complete state and privilege transitions for reading from a socket whose receive queue is initially empty.