Overview
What this challenge is about.
Build a Multi-Level Feedback Queue Scheduler in xv6. Intermediate challenge in code. Writing production code that solves real engineering problems, earn a bl...
The Brief
What you'll do, and what you'll demonstrate.
Implement and benchmark a Multi-Level Feedback Queue scheduler in the xv6 teaching kernel so students see real interactivity tradeoffs.
This is not a coding exercise. It is the work a software engineer does between a Jira ticket and a merged PR. That distinction matters to every hiring manager who has seen candidates solve LeetCode problems and none who have shipped production code under real constraints.
When you finish, you will have something most graduates do not: a real-world deliverable, verified by Ewance, that you can show to a hiring manager and say "I did this. Here is the proof."
Earning criteria — what you'll demonstrate
- Implement preemptive, priority-based scheduling in a real kernel
- Reason about CPU-bound vs I/O-bound workload tradeoffs
- Use kernel data structures (proc table, run queues) safely under context switches
- Design benchmarks that isolate the variable you're actually measuring
Program Fit
Where this fits in your program.
Sharpens the same skills your degree expects you to demonstrate.
Operating Systems
Bachelor · Systems
Strong alignment
This challenge maps to Operating Systems at the Bachelor level. It sharpens the same practical skills your coursework expects — but in a real industry context with actual constraints and deliverables.
Skills
Skills you'll demonstrate.
Each one shows up on your verified credential.
- Operating Systems
Apply operating systems to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Scheduling
Apply scheduling to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- C Programming
Apply c programming to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Kernel Development
Apply kernel development to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Benchmarking
Apply benchmarking to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Systems Programming
Apply systems programming to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
Careers
Career paths this challenge builds toward
Completing this challenge demonstrates skills that transfer directly to these roles: