operating systems

operating systems

1. managing resources

   • peripherals
     • drivers
       • software used to map commands to the individual peripherals
     • input and output devices
       • keyboard
       • mouse
     • the programmer doesn't need to know what specific device is being used
   • printing
     • spooling
       • doesn't need to work about queues or ink
   • backing store
     • back ups
     • managed by OS
   • file compression
     • less disk space
     • OS can complete this
   • disk de-fragmentation
     • rearrange fragments of files to slow load times
   • RAM
     • split into pages
       • each page acts like the only memory the system has
     • prevents programs from snooping on data from other programs

2. provide an interface

   • file management
     • Files need to be manipulated.
     • Operating systems provide an interface to the user which allows them to:
       • copy files
       • delete files
       • search for files
       • move files
       • sort files
   • system settings
     • Operating systems enable the user to easily alter system settings.
   • multitasking
     • Multitasking is allowing multiple processes appear to run simultaneously.
   • error messages and support
     • When something goes wrong in a program, the user needs to be informed.
   • customisation
     • The ability to customise the interface is a feature of most operating systems.
   • task management
     • Operating systems manage processes and allow multitasking.