Operating System Its Types and its Functions

Operating System Its Types and its Functions

OPERATING SYSTEM:

“An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs”

The functions of operating system:

There are 5 basic functions of operating system:

    1.Manage computer’s resources such as CPU, hard disk, memory,I/O devices(peripherals),etc

    2.Establish a user interface

    3.Execute and provide services for application software
4.Booting the computer.

    5.Provides file management which refers to the way that the operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves and saves data.

Booting the computer

Ø The process of starting or restarting the computer is known as booting.

Ø  A cold boot is when you turn on a computer that has been turned off completely.

Ø A warm boot is the process of using the operating system to restart the computer.

Performs basic computer tasks

Ø The operating system performs basic computer tasks, such as managing the various peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard and printers.

Ø  For example, most operating systems now are plug and play which means a device such as a printer will automatically be detected and configured without any user intervention.

Provides a user interface:

Ø A user interacts with software through the user interface.

Ø  The two main types of user interfaces are: command line and a graphical user interface (GUI).

Ø With a command line interface, the user interacts with the operating system by typing commands to perform specific tasks such as DOS (disk operating system).

Ø With a graphical user interface, the user interacts with the operating system by using a mouse to access windows, icons, and menus. An example of a graphical user interface is Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Handles system resources

•  The operating system also handles system resources such as the computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices.
•  The operating system ensures that each application gets the necessary resources it needs in order to maximize the functionality of the overall system.

Provides file management

• The operating system also handles the organization and tracking of files and directories (folders) saved or retrieved from a computer disk.
• The file management system allows the user to perform such tasks as creating files and directories, renaming files, coping and moving files, and deleting files.
•  The operating system keeps track of where files are located on the hard drive through the type of file system.

so in other words:

 Operating system is a set of program that lets a user interact with the hardware.

 Without an operating  a computer is useless so it must to be installed in every computer.

An operating system which is itself a system software enables other application software programs to be executed on the computer.