Operating systems

Operating systems

1. A collection of programs that manages the hardware and software of a computer system including sharing the computer's times, memory, hardware and other resources.

2. File management

   • Creates a file system to organise files and directories - a hierarchy of directories.

3. Hardware management

   • Manages memory - transfers programs into and out of memory, allocates free space between programs, and keeps track of memory usage.
   • Manages peripherals - opens, closes and writes to peripheral devices such as storage attached to the computer.
   • Drivers are software that allow us to use the actual hardware components.

4. User management

   • Graphical user interface (GUI) - The OS on most computers and smartphones provides an environment with tiles, icons and/or menus. This type of interface is called the graphical user interface (GUI) because the user interacts with images through a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen.
   • Command line interface (CLI) - An OS also provides a method of interaction that is non-graphical, called the command line interface (CLI). This is a text-only service with feedback from the OS appearing in text. Using a CLI requires knowledge of the commands available on a particular machine.
   • Security - provides security through user accounts and passwords.

5. Process management

   • Multi-tasks - allows multiple applications to run at the same time.
   • Manages the CPU - runs applications and executes and cancels processes.

6. Utilities software

   • Utilities - provides tools for managing and organising hardware.

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