computer science

IncludeOS

IncludeOS is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IncludeOS rather than just read about it. In short: IncludeOS is a minimal, open source, unikernel operating system for cloud services and IoT, developed by Alf Walla and Andreas Åkesson. IncludeOS allows users to run C++ applications in the cloud without any operating system.

Key takeaways

IncludeOS belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IncludeOS to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IncludeOS from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

IncludeOS is a minimal, open source, unikernel operating system for cloud services and IoT, developed by Alf Walla and Andreas Åkesson. IncludeOS allows users to run C++ applications in the cloud without any operating system. IncludeOS runs on virtual machines like Linux KVM, and VMWare ESXi/Fusion. IncludeOS applications boot in about 300 ms. On Solo5/uKVM from IBM Research, boot times as low as 10 milliseconds are possible.

Architecture The minimalist architecture of IncludeOS means that it does not have any virtual memory space. In turn, therefore, there is no concept of either system calls or user space.

References

External links IncludeOS on GitHub IncludeOS blog Alfred Bratterud: Deconstructing the OS: The devil’s In the side effects, CppCon 2017 presentation C++ Weekly – Ep 31 – IncludeOS

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IncludeOS

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IncludeOS claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IncludeOS before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IncludeOS ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IncludeOS

In research: IncludeOS appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IncludeOS in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IncludeOS is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing platforms, Free software operating systems, Free software programmed in C++, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IncludeOS outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study IncludeOS in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IncludeOS means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IncludeOS out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IncludeOS in simple terms?

Why does IncludeOS matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IncludeOS?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IncludeOS.