cs-pub-ro · teodutu · Oct 2, 2025 · Oct 2, 2025 · Oct 2, 2025 · Oct 2, 2025
diff --git a/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/aslr/README.md b/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/aslr/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # ASLR
 
-Navigate to `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/aslr` and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
+Navigate to the `aslr` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/aslr` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
 Then navigate to `support/src`.
 
 Use the `Makefile.aslr` file to compile the `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/aslr/support/aslr.c` file:

diff --git a/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/bypassing-stack-protector/README.md b/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/bypassing-stack-protector/README.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # Bypassing the Stack Protector
 
-Navigate to `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/bypassing-stack-protector` and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
+Navigate to the `bypassing-stack-protector` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/bypassing-stack-protector` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
 Then navigate to `support/src`.
 
-Inspect the `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/bypassing-stack-protector/support/stack_protector.c` source file.
+Inspect the `bypassing-stack-protector/support/stack_protector.c` source file.
 Compile the program and examine the object code.
 Try to identify the canary value.
 Using the `addr` variable, write 2 instructions: one that indexes `addr` to overwrite the canary with the correct value and one that indexes `addr` to overwrite the return address with the address of function `pawned()`.

diff --git a/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/exec-shellcode/README.md b/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/exec-shellcode/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 ## Shellcode Executor
 
-Navigate to `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/exec-shellcode` and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
+Navigate to the `exec-shellcode` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/exec-shellcode` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
 Then navigate to `support/src`.
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/exec-shellcode/support/` directory.
-
-Your goal is to update the `src/exec-shellcode.s` source code file to be able to read and execute shellcodes from a given binary files.
+Your goal is to update the `exec-shellcode.s` source code file to be able to read and execute shellcodes from a given binary files.
 The program thus acts as a shellcode tester.
 
 A [shellcode](https://cocomelonc.github.io/tutorial/2021/10/09/linux-shellcoding-1.html) is a small program that is commonly used in memory-related security exploits as a form of arbitrary code execution.

diff --git a/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak/README.md b/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak/README.md
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 # Wild Pointer Arithmetic Info Leak
 
-Navigate to `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak` and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
+Navigate to the `pointer-arithmetic-leak/` in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
 Then navigate to `support/src`.
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak/support/` directory.
 Open and analyze the `buff_leak.c` file.
 
 The pointer `p` points to the stack.

diff --git a/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/stack-protector/README.md b/chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/stack-protector/README.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # Stack Protector
 
-Navigate to `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/stack-protector` and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
+Navigate to `stack-protector/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/stack-protector` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make skels` to generate the `support/` folder.
 Then navigate to `support/src`.
 
-Comment the `-fno-stack-protector` switch from the `chapters/data/memory-security/drills/tasks/stack-protector/support/Makefile`, recompile and run the `bo_practice_write` executable.
+Comment the `-fno-stack-protector` switch from `stack-protector/support/Makefile`, recompile and run the `bo_practice_write` executable.
 Examine the binary with `objdump` and identify the instructions that set and test the canary.
 Observe what happens when a buffer overflow occurs.
 

diff --git a/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab3.md b/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab3.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_3_Memory.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).
diff --git a/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab4.md b/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab4.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_4_Investigate_Memory.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).
diff --git a/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab5.md b/chapters/data/overview/reading/lab5.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_5_Memory_Security.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).
diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/alloc-size/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/alloc-size/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Allocating and Deallocating Memory
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/alloc-size/support` directory.
+Navigate to the `alloc-size/support/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/alloc-size/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 
 1. Use `pmap` to analyze the process address space for `ALLOC_SIZE_KB` initialized to `256`.
    Notice the new memory areas and the difference between the use of `mmap` syscall and `brk` syscall.

diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/copy/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/copy/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Memory Mapping
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/copy/` directory, run `make skels` and open the `support/src` directory.
+Navigate to the `copy/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/copy/` if you are working directly in the repository), run `make skels` and open the `support/src` directory.
 Here you will find these files:
 
 * `read_write_copy.c` in which you will implement copying with `read` / `write` syscalls

diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/memory-areas/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/memory-areas/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Memory Regions
 
-Enter the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/memory-areas/support` directory.
+Enter the `memory-areas/support/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/memory-areas/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 We investigate other programs.
 
 1. The `hello.c` program prints out a message and then sleeps.

diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/modify-areas/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/modify-areas/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Modifying Memory Region Size
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/modify-areas/support` directory.
+Navigate to the `modify-areas/support/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/modify-areas/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 
 1. Comment out different parts of the `hello.c` program to notice differences in only specific areas (text, data, bss, heap, stack).
 

diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/page-mapper/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/page-mapper/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Page Mapper
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/page-mapper/support` directory.
+Navigate to the `page-mapper/support/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/page-mapper/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 
 Your goal is to update the `src/page_mapper.c` source code file to reserve virtual pages in the address space of the current process.
 Use `mmap()` to reserve virtual pages.

diff --git a/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/reference-counting/README.md b/chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/reference-counting/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Operator overloading
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/reference-counting/support` directory.
+Navigate to the `reference-counting/support/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/process-memory/drills/tasks/reference-counting/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 Analyze the `operators.d` file.
 A `struct` is defined that also implements 4 special functions: a constructor, a copy constructor, an assignment operator and a destructor.
 Each of these special functions may be called automatically by the compiler:

diff --git a/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/access-counter/README.md b/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/access-counter/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Access Counter
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/access-counter/support` directory.
+Navigate to the `access-counter/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/access-counter/support` if you are working directly in the repository).
 
 Your goal is to update the `src/access_counter.c` source code file to capture memory access exceptions (i.e. the `SIGSEGV` signal) and to update page permissions in order for the access to eventually succeed.
 Use `mprotect` to update the protection of the pages in stages: read, write and then exec.

diff --git a/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-access/README.md b/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-access/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Memory Access
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-access/` directory, run `make skels`, and enter `support/src/`.
+Navigate to the `memory-access/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-access/` if you are running directly in the repository), run `make skels`, and enter `support/src/`.
 Inspect the `mem_access.c` source file.
 
 1. Describe each variable by completing its **(address, size, access rights)** tuple.

diff --git a/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-corruption/README.md b/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-corruption/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 For this practice item, you will need to identify the programming mistake that makes it possible to corrupt memory.
 
-Navigate to the `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-corruption/` folder, run `make skels` and enter `support/src/`.
+Navigate to the `memory-corruption/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-corruption/` if you are working directly in the repository) run `make skels` and enter `support/src/`.
 Inspect the source file `segfault.c`.
 
 1. What does the program do? (this could be a quiz in the final form)

diff --git a/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-protection/README.md b/chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-protection/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Memory Protection
 
-Let's navigate to the `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-protection/`, run `make skels` and enter the `support/src/` directory.
+Let's navigate to the `memory-protection/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/data/working-with-memory/drills/tasks/memory-protection/` if you are working directly in the repository), run `make skels` and enter the `support/src/` directory.
 
 Inspect the `mem_prot.c` source file.
 The file uses different access types for the `data` variable and the `do_nothing` function.

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/applications/drills/tasks/app-investigation/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/applications/drills/tasks/app-investigation/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # App Investigation
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/applications/drills/tasks/app-investigation/support/` folder and go through the practice items below.
+Enter the `app-investigation` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/software-stack/applications/drills/tasks/app-investigation/` if you are working directly in the repository), run `make skels` and go through the practice items below.
 Select a binary executable application and a scripted application.
 
 1. Use `ldd` on the two applications.

diff --git a/...ters/software-stack/high-level-languages/drills/tasks/high-level-lang/README.md b/...ters/software-stack/high-level-languages/drills/tasks/high-level-lang/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # High-Level Languages
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/high-level-languages/drills/tasks/high-level-lang/` folder, run `make skels`, then enter `spport/`
+Enter the `high-level-lang/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/software-stack/high-level-languages/drills/tasks/high-level-lang/` if you are working directly in the repository), run `make skels`, then enter `spport/`
 Then go through the practice items below.
 
 1. Use `make` to create the `hello` executable from the `hello.go` file (a Go "Hello, World!"-printing program).

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/common-functions/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/common-functions/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Common Functions
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/common-functions/` folder, run `make skels`, then enter `support/`.
+Enter the `common-functions/` directory in the lab archive (or `chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/common-functions/` if you are working directly in the repository), run `make skels`, then enter `support/`.
 Go through the practice items below.
 
 1. Update `os_string.c` and `os_string.h` to make available the `os_strcat()` function that performs the same string concatenation as `strcat()` from `libc`.

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/libc/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/libc/drills/tasks/libc/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Libraries and libc
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/libc/libc/drills/tasks/` folder, run `make skels`, then enter `support/`.
+Enter the `libc/support/` directory from the lab archive (or `chapters/software-stack/libc/libc/drills/tasks/support/` if you are working directly in the repository).
 Now go through the practice items below.
 
 1. Use `malloc()` and `free()` functions in the `memory.c` program.

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/overview/reading/lab1.md b/chapters/software-stack/overview/reading/lab1.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_1_Operating_System_Perspective.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).
diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/overview/reading/lab2.md b/chapters/software-stack/overview/reading/lab2.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_2_Library_Perspective.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).
diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/basic-syscall/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/basic-syscall/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # System Calls
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/basic-syscall/` folder.
-Run `make` and then enter `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/basic-syscall/support/` folder and go through the practice items below.
+Enter the `basic-syscall/` directory of the extracted archive (or `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/basic-syscall/` if you are working directly in the repository).
+Run `make` and then enter `support/` folder and go through the practice items below.
 
 For debugging, use `strace` to trace the system calls from your program and make sure the arguments are set right.
 

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/libcall-syscall/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/libcall-syscall/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Library Calls vs System Calls
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/libcall-syscall/support/` folder and go through the practice items below.
+Enter the `libcall-syscall/support/` directory from the extracted archive (or `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/libcall-syscall/support/` if you are working directly in the repository) and go through the practice items below.
 
 1. Check library calls and system calls for the `call2.c` file.
    Use `ltrace` and `strace`.

diff --git a/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/syscall-wrapper/README.md b/chapters/software-stack/system-calls/drills/tasks/syscall-wrapper/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # System Call Wrappers
 
-Enter the `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/syscall-wrapper/drills/tasks/support/` folder and go through the practice items below.
+Enter the `syscall-wrapper/` directory from the extracted archive (or `chapters/software-stack/system-calls/syscall-wrapper/drills/tasks/support/` if you are working directly in the repository) and run `make`, then go through the practice items below.
 
 1. Update the files in the `support/` folder to make `read` system call available as a wrapper.
    Make a call to the `read` system call to read data from standard input in a buffer.

diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ lab_structure:
   - title: Lab 1 - Operating System Perspective
     filename: lab1.md
     content:
+      - reading/lab1.md
       - tasks/basic-syscall.md
       - tasks/syscall-wrapper.md
       - tasks/libcall-syscall.md
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ lab_structure:
   - title: Lab 2 - Library Perspective
     filename: lab2.md
     content:
+      - reading/lab2.md
       - tasks/common-functions.md
       - tasks/libc.md
       - tasks/high-level-lang.md
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ lab_structure:
   - title: Lab 3 - Memory
     filename: lab3.md
     content:
+      - reading/lab3.md
       - tasks/memory-access.md
       - tasks/memory-corruption.md
       - tasks/memory-protection.md
@@ -48,6 +51,7 @@ lab_structure:
   - title: Lab 4 - Investigate Memory
     filename: lab4.md
     content:
+      - reading/lab4.md
       - tasks/alloc-size.md
       - tasks/copy.md
       - tasks/memory-areas.md
@@ -66,6 +70,7 @@ lab_structure:
   - title: Lab 5 - Memory Security
     filename: lab5.md
     content:
+      - reading/lab5.md
       - tasks/pointer-arithmetic-leak.md
       - tasks/aslr.md
       - tasks/stack-protector.md

diff --git a/misc/lab-setup.md b/misc/lab-setup.md
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 
 You can work on any Linux setup (native install, `WSL`, `VM`), but we strongly recommend you use the [`operating-systems` class VMs](https://cs-pub-ro.github.io/operating-systems/resources#virtual-machine).
 
+## Laboratory archives
+
+All the laboratories have archives with the work items.
+**We recommend working with the provided archives instead of using the repository.**
+If, however, you want to use the repository directly, you can find instructions below.
+
 ## Cloning the repository
 
 If you haven't already cloned the repository, do so and you are ready to go:
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
		@@ -0,0 +1 @@
		The contents of the lab are located in the [lab archive](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems/raw/refs/heads/lab-archives/Lab_3_Memory.zip) and in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cs-pub-ro/operating-systems).