submit code and documentation before the end of that day
The Basic Programming Task (up to 20 points)
The goal of this assignment is to make sure you fully comprehend (and are able to realize) the creation of processes with Unix-like operating systems. To this end you will be using the fork() system call.
You are to write a very simple shell program, similar to the example covered in lecture. The shell should terminate if the user enters “exit” at the command line, and should attempt to launch a program in response to any other input string. You do not have to parse any parameters, nor do you need to support background execution of processes. The simplest possible shell to demonstrate is all that is required. You may wish to write a “hello world” program, so that you have an executable file that you could launch from your shell.
The Second Programming Task (up to 10 additional points):
You are to write a program that will create exactly eight child processes (not including the initial program itself). You are not to allow any single process to create more than two child processes.
The Third Programming Task (up to an additional 20 points)
You are to write a program that, when launched, will result in a total of twelve child processes to run. This is the same task as described above, but this time you are not to allow any single process which creates children to create less than two child processes, or more than three. In other words, the program you write can only launch a maximum of three child processes directly, and any other “children” will have to be created by the children of this parent process (subject to the restriction of only creating two or three processes each). Once again, any process that creates other processes must create either two or three processes only, no more and no less.
The Fourth Programming Task (up to an additional 20 points)
You are to write a program that, when launched, will result in a total of seventeen child processes to run. This is the same task as described above, again this time you are not to allow any single process which creates children to create less than two child processes, or more than three. In other words, the program you write can only launch a maximum of three child processes directly, and any other “children” will have to be created by the children of this parent process (subject to the restriction of only creating two or three processes each). Once again, any process that creates other processes must create either two or three processes only, no more and no less.
