What a Junior } should know

Understands Big-O notation, basic sorting and search algorithms. Analyzes complexity considering cache effects and real hardware.

Understands async primitives: select/poll/epoll, non-blocking I/O, callback-based programming. Writes simple async servers.

Follows coding standards for C++/Rust: formatting (clang-format/rustfmt), naming conventions. Writes documented code.

Knows data structures for system software: arrays, linked lists, hash maps, trees. Understands memory layout and cache-line alignment.

Knows patterns for system software: RAII, Pimpl, Singleton for global state, Observer for event systems. Applies under guidance.

Understands memory model: virtual memory, page tables, stack vs heap. Knows malloc/free internals, memory alignment.

Understands POSIX threads: thread creation, mutex, condition variables. Knows memory ordering basics and data races.

Understands HTTP/HTTPS, DNS basics, TCP vs UDP. Knows ports, IP addresses, localhost. Can use curl for API testing.

Understands CI/CD concepts: build, test, deploy. Uses existing workflows. Can add a step to existing pipeline. Knows how to check failed build logs.

Understands basic system design principles: modularity, abstraction, encapsulation, separation of concerns. Applies them when designing simple system components.

Participates in system code review: checks style, finds simple bugs (memory leaks, uninitialized variables). Learns from mentor to spot typical kernel code bugs.