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name: os-reference-search description: Search OS reference materials — architecture specs (ARM, RISC-V), books (OSTEP, OSDI3), and papers. Use when implementing OS features (scheduler, IPC, VMM, drivers), looking up register layouts, finding algorithm details, or verifying chapter/section references in comments. allowed-tools: AskUserQuestion, Bash, Read

OS Reference Search Skill

Search architecture specs and OS books using sova at ../sova/ (relative to bullfinch root).

When to Use

• Implementing features: Look up scheduler algorithms in OSTEP, IPC in OSDI3
• Hardware programming: Find register layouts, bit fields, sequences in ARM/RISC-V manuals
• Design decisions: See how MINIX implements PM, FS, drivers
• Verifying references: Check chapter/section numbers before adding to comments

Search

Copycd ../sova

# Semantic search
uv run sova.py -s "how to handle page faults"
uv run sova.py -s "interrupt controller" -n 10

# Text search in extracted markdown
rg -i "TLB" *.md

Returns file.md:start-end with preview. Use Read tool for full context (add ~50 lines buffer for surrounding context).

Available Documents

• riscv-plic — RISC-V PLIC Specification
• riscv-sbi — RISC-V SBI Specification
• riscv-privileged — RISC-V Privileged Specification
• riscv-unprivileged — RISC-V Unprivileged Specification
• gic_architecture_specification — ARM GIC Specification
• operating_systems_three_easy_pieces — Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces (OSTEP book)
• operating_systems_design_and_implementation — Operating Systems: Design & Implementation (MINIX book)
• DDI0487_profile_architecture_reference_manual — ARM Architecture Reference Manual

Setup

If ../sova/refs.db is missing:

Copycd ../sova
uv run sova.py --list              # Check status
uv run sova.py --skip-topics       # Index (faster, no topics)
uv run sova.py                     # Index with topics

Reference Style

When citing in code comments:

Copy// See ARM Architecture Reference Manual, D1.4 (Exceptions).
// See RISC-V Privileged Specification, 4.1.4 (Supervisor Scratch Register).
// See OSTEP Chapter 6 (Limited Direct Execution).
// See OSDI3 Section 2.8 (The Clock Task).