What is an Operating System?
An Operating System is a system software that manage computer hardware resources and provide common service for application programs. The OS act like an interface. The computer interpret the instructions given by the user with the help of an operating system. It is the master program, which makes your system alive and helps to run different applications.
The operating system is classified into GUI (Graphical User Interface) and CUI (Character User Interface), based on manner it interacts with the users.
Graphical User Interface-
GUI Operating system is graphics based and interactive in nature. You can use several devices, such as mouse, keyboard, etc. to interact with the system. Nowadays Windows is the most popular GUI OS.
Character User Interface-
CUI operating system requires you to type commands in order to interact with the system. Some popular CUI OS is UNIX, DOS.
Features and Functions of Operating System-
Nowadays the popular OS that we are using, are Windows, Mac and Linux. Most OS have certain features and functions in common. Some of the features are.
1- Processor Management- It is one of the most important functions of an operating system. The OS ensures that each process/application receives enough time by the processor to function properly.
2- Memory Management- An operating system manages the sharing of internal memory among the multiple applications. An OS has to make efficient utilization of different types of memory (RAM, Cache, etc.) within the system to ensure proper execution of every process.
3- File Management- A computer uses a lot of data, which is stored on the secondary storage devices. The OS keeps track of information regarding creation, deletion, transfer, copy and storage of file in an organised manner.
4- Device Management- An OS plays a very important role in coordinating and controlling various I/O (Input/Output) devices. It receives requests from these devices, perform a specific task and communicates back to the requesting process.
5- Security Management- The inbuilt security modules of any operating system protect the resources and the information stored on a computer system against unauthorized access.
6- Provision of interface- An OS provides a systematic user interface, which facilitates and structures the interaction between the user and computer.
Types of Operating System-1- Single User OS- Single User OS is the initial version of the operating system. These OS can support only one user at a time. The most popular Single User OS were MS DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95. Due to their limited features, they are no longer in use nowadays.
2- Multi User OS- Multi User OS allows more than one user to use the same computer at the same time or at different time. The popular Multi User OS are Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux, UNIX, Macintosh. Windows 2000 was the first version of Windows, which allowed creation of several user accounts on a single computer.
3- Multi Tasking OS- The ability to perform more than one task together at one time, using only one CPU is called Multi-tasking. It switches from one program to another so quickly that it gives the appearance of executing all programs at the same time. The popular Multi Tasking OS are Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux, UNIX, Macintosh, etc.
4- Multi-Threading OS- These operating systems allow different
5- Real Time OS- These OS are designed to respond to an event within a pre-determined time. They are often used in applications such as flight reservation system, military applications, etc. This type of OS increases the availability and reliability of the system. e.g. Linux. There are two type of real time operating system:-
- Hard Real Time OS- In this RTOS, all task are required to be completed within the specified time limit.
- Soft Real Time OS- In this RTOS, all the tasks are not required to be completed within the specified time limit.
6- Distributed OS-
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