Previous Year Question Paper on Open Source Software

B.E. / B.Tech. DEGREE EXAMINATION, MAY/JUNE 2012

Sixth Semester

080230027 – OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

(Regulation 2008)

Answer ALL Questions

PART A (10 X 2 = 20 marks)

1. List the advantages of open source software. 

   Key Advantages of OSS are listed below: 

   • No cost or a lower cost for licensing "open source" solutions
   • Flexibility: A programmer can take a standard software package and modify it to better suit business needs. 
   • Continuing software enhancements available through the open source community 
   • Reliability and Quality: Mature open source software is generally viewed to be of good quality and reliability.
   • Reduces “Vendor Lock-in”: If we are using proprietary software we may be restricted to using certain vendors. Switching vendors in this case usually involves significant costs. 
   • Availability of External Support: We can usually hire a programmer to add a particular function to open source software. Some vendors offer support contracts and there are service providers that install, configure and maintain an OSS system. Many open source products also have active online community support that may be able to answer your questions through online blogs.
2. What is the differentce between kernel mode and user mode? 

           In Kernel mode, the executing code has complete and unrestricted access to the underlying hardware. It can execute any CPU instruction and reference any memory address. Kernel mode is generally reserved for the lowest-level, most trusted functions of the operating system. Crashes in kernel mode are catastrophic; they will halt the entire PC.

           In User mode, the executing code has no ability to directly access hardware or reference memory. Code running in user mode must delegate to system APIs to access hardware or memory. Due to the protection afforded by this sort of isolation, crashes in user mode are always recoverable. Most of the code running on your computer will execute in user mode.
3. How to create a table in MySQL when it does not exist?
           This is the sql syntax for create table. Utilise the IF NOT EXISTS clause to create a table when it does not exist:
   
           CREATE [TEMPORARY] TABLE [IF NOT EXISTS] tbl_name [(create_definition,...)] 
4. How to create a new user in MySQL database server?  

          The user creation process continues with inserting the new user's values such as host, username and password into the user table in the MySQL database, containing the log-in details of everyone who has any level of access to the database. 

          This is done with the help of CREATE USER command, which is available only in MySQL 5 (5.0.2) and newer releases, and it follows this syntax:

               CREATE USER user [IDENTIFIED BY [PASSWORD] 'password']

          For instance, creating a user 'michael' with a password 'mypassword123' is done by establishing a connection to the MySQL server as root and executing the following query:

             CREATE USER michael IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD 'mypassword123';
5. List the different data types supported in PHP.
6. Using while loop write a php code to display 1 to 5.
7. List the dictionaries operations in Python.
8. What is the difference between tuple and list in Python?
9. Highlight the features of Perl.
10. What is the use of ARGV in Perl?

PART B (5 X 16 = 80 marks)

11. (a) (i) List any eight file related commands in Linux and explain their features. (8)

          (ii) Discuss the different types of file systems in Linux. (8)

Or

(b) (i) List any eight Linux signals and highlight their features. (8)

    (ii) Explain the scheduling mechanisms in Linux. (8)

12. (a) (i) List any four string related functions in MySQL and explain its syntax. (8)

          (ii) How to use MySQL Left join to select data from multiple tables? Explain. (8)

Or

(b) (i) What is metadata in MySQL? How to obtain it and use it? Explain. (8)

     (ii) Explain the process of sorting the Query results in MySQL. (8)

13. (a) (i) Explain the process of uploading files to the server in PHP. (8)

          (ii) How will you use PHP to access data from MySQL? (8)

Or

(b) (i) Explain the process of sending an e-mail with PHP. (8)

    (ii) Explain debugging and error handling process in PHP. (8)

14. (a) (i) Write a Python program to print Fibonacci series. (8)

          (ii) How to use Python as a Calculator? Explain with any to examples. (8)

Or

(b) (i) Explain the error and exception handling mechanisms in Python. (8)

     (ii) Write Python code to create an account object with two functions. (8)

15. (a) (i) List and explain the control structures in Perl. (8)

          (ii) List and explain the various file operations in Perl. (8)

Or

(b) Explain the data manipulation functionalities provided by Perl. (16)