Operating System (OS)
An operating system (OS) is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by a boot program, manages all of the other application programs in a computer. The application programs make use of the operating system by making requests for services through a defined application program interface (API). In addition, users can interact directly with the operating system through a user interface, such as a command-line interface (CLI) or a graphical UI (GUI).
Why use an operating system?
Operating systems provide great benefits to computer software and software development. If there is no operating system, each application must have its own user interface that contains the general instructions needed to manage all the low-level functions of the computer (disk storage, network interfaces, etc.). Given the large number of underlying deviceavailable, this will increase the size of each application and make software development run less efficiently. Text displayed on a device such as a monitor can be passed to system software running between applications and hardware. System software provides a consistent and repeatable way for applications to interact with hardware without the application needing to know detailed information about the hardware. A software system (operating system) can run almost any application. This reduces the coding time and cost required to develop and debug the application, while allowing users to control, configure and manage hardware in a shared and easy-to-understand manner.
Once installed, the operating system will rely on a large library of device drivers to customize the performance of the service to the specific hardware environment. So any application can make a call to the storage device, but the operating system receives the call and uses the appropriate driver to translate the call into a function (for example) required by the underlying hardware of a particular computer. Operating systems today provide a comprehensive system that can identify, configure and manage various devices, including storage devices and memory management; Interpreting Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and Universal Serial Bus (USB); and subsystem interfaces such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe).
What are the functions of an operating system?
The operating system provides three main functions: It automatically provides the user interface and manages application execution through the CLI or GUI; Every operating system must have a user interface that allows users and administrators to interact with the operating system to configure, configure, and even troubleshoot the operatingsystem and its components. There are two main types of user interfaces: CLI and GUI.
The CLI (or terminal mode window) provides a textbased interface where users can use the traditional keyboard to enter specific commands, parameters, and Arguments relevant to a particular task.
A GUI (or desktop) provides visual interaction based on symbols and symbols, and users rely on the guidance of human computer interfaces such as trackpads, touch screens, and mouse equipment. End users who often like to work with files and applications can, for example, doubleclick the file icon to open the file in their default application. The CLI is also popular among power users and project managers who need to regularly perform many commands and actions, such as creating and running scripts to provision new computers (PCs) to employees.
Application management.
The operating system is responsible for publishing and managing all applications. This typically supports many behaviors including time sharing between multiple processes or threads; so that multiple tasks can share the processing time associated with the application to properly test the processor and ensure that there is enough memory to run the application; In order for the application process to be removed successfully, without affecting other process errors and corresponding information; events of the event. For example, the Windows API allows programs to receive input from the keyboard or mouse; Applications are almost always configured to use the operating system on which the application is intended to run.
Device management.
The operating system is responsible for identifying, configuring, and providing applications with general access to computer hardware. Once the operating system recognizes and recognizes the hardware, the operating system loads the appropriate drivers, allowing the operating system and applications running on the operating system to use those devices without the need for special knowledge of materials or equipment. br> The operating system is responsible for correctly identifying the printer and installing the appropriate printer driver; so the application can call the printer without using code or message command specific to the printer - this is the Workflow. The situation is similar for other devices such as USB ports, network ports; such as graphics processing devices (GPU motherboard chipsets); Standardized in-file structure like Windows login. Manufacturers patch and update drivers regularly; Utilities also need to update them to ensure device performance and security. When you replace a device, the operating system also installs andconfigures new drivers.
Operating system types and examples
Although the core functionality of operating systems is ubiquitous, there are countless operating systems to suit a variety of devices and user needs.
General-purpose operating system.
A generalpurpose operating system represents a family of operating systems designed to run multiple applications on multiple devices, allowing users to run one or more applications or tasks simultaneously. Universal operating systems can be installed on many desktop and laptop models and run many applications, from accounting to databases, from web browsers to games. General-purpose operating systems often focus on process (thread) and hardware management to enable applications to interact with the variety of available computing devices.
Mobile operating system.
Mobile operating systems are designed to accommodate the unique needs of mobile computing and communication-centric devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices typically offer limited computing resources compared to traditional PCs, and the OS must be scaled back in size and complexity in order to minimize its own resource use, while ensuring adequate resources for one or more applications running on the device. Mobile operating systems tend to emphasize efficient performance, user responsiveness and close attention to data handling tasks, such as supporting media streaming. Apple iOS and Google Android are examples of mobile operating systems.
Embedded operating system.
Mobile operating systems are designed to meet the specific needs of mobile and communication-oriented devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices generally offer a low budget compared to traditional PCs, and while ensuring the reliability of the application or applications running on the device having sufficient resources, the size and complexity of the operation must be reduced to reduce its own resources used. Mobile operating systems often emphasize performance, user responsiveness, and pay attention to data processingsuch as media streaming support. Apple iOS and Google Android are examples of mobile operating systems.
Network operating system.
Network Operating System (NOS) is another operating system specifically designed to facilitate communication between devices operating on a local area network (LAN). NOS provides the communications stack necessary to understand network protocols to create, modify, and destroy network packets. Nowadays, the concept of dedicated NOS is not widely used as other types of businesses often manage network communications. For example, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 include extensive networking. The NOS concept is still used in some networking equipment such as routers, switches, and firewalls, and companies may use custom NOS, including Cisco Internet Operating System (IOS), RouterOS, and ZyNOS.
Real-time operating system.
When computing devices must interact with the real world in real time and iteratively, hardware developers may choose to use a real-time operating system (RTOS). For example, business management may direct the operations of a large factory or power plant. Such a facility would generate signals from a variety of sensors and send signals to operate valves, actuators, motors, and countless other devices. In these situations, business management needs to react quickly and predictably to changing real-world conditions, or failure to do so could lead to disaster. RTOSes must operate without interruptions, lags, and other delays common to other operating systems. Two examples of RTOS are FreeRTOS and VxWorks.
