operating systems

operating systems

1. managing resources

   • peripherals
     • input
       • keyboard
       • mouse
     • output
       • screen
       • speaker
   • printing
     • drivers
     • spooling
       • The operating system will then spool the print job (it will keep it in a queue until the printer is ready)
   • backing store
     • Backing stores are storage devices used to keep backups of important files
   • file compression
     • compress data as it’s saved and decompress it as it’s loaded, allowing more data to be stored on a device.
   • disk de-fragmentation
     • re-arranging file fragments on a physical disk surface to improve load times
   • memory
     • Ram is split into “pages”
     • Each page is presented to its program as if it is the only memory the system has.

2. providing an interface

   • GUI
     • Graphical representations of the computer’s functions are shown to the user and controlled by touchscreen or a mouse and keyboard.
   • CLI
     • The user types commands, and the result is shown as text.
   • File management
     • allows them to: Copy files Move files Delete files Sort files Search for files
   • multi-tasking
     • Multitasking is allowing multiple processes appear to run simultaneously.
   • task management