Functions of OS

Functions of OS

1. User Interface

   • Operating systems need to provide a means of communicating with them.
     • This means making it possible for the user to issue commands.
   • The user interface is the way in which users interact with computer hardware.

2. Multitasking / Process Management

   • So that you can have more that one thing open at any given time
   • The operating system will also be running lots of background tasks just to manage the computer itself.

3. Memory Management

   • For managing the computer's memory
   • When a program is running it must be in the computer’s main memory (RAM). The main memory has a finite size.
   • The operating system tracks where programs and data are at any time to make efficient use of the space in memory and to make sure nothing gets overwritten by something else.

4. Peripheral Management

   • Peripherals are any computer hardware components that are not part of the CPU i.e. Input, Output or Storage devices.
     • A function of the operating system is to manage these devices.

5. Security

   • To stop other people accessing your private documents
   • Ask for the authenticity of the user, so he is who he says he is
   • Operating systems also handle file privileges, these are right assigned to users and group.