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Operating System Definition of An Operating System

An operating system (OS) manages computer hardware and software resources, acting as an interface between programs and hardware. Common OS examples include Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. OS types include real-time, single-user/single-task, single-user/multi-tasking, multi-user, and distributed. Key OS functions are booting the computer, allocating resources, monitoring activities, managing disks/files, and providing a user interface.

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Chinedu Njemanze
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48 views

Operating System Definition of An Operating System

An operating system (OS) manages computer hardware and software resources, acting as an interface between programs and hardware. Common OS examples include Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. OS types include real-time, single-user/single-task, single-user/multi-tasking, multi-user, and distributed. Key OS functions are booting the computer, allocating resources, monitoring activities, managing disks/files, and providing a user interface.

Uploaded by

Chinedu Njemanze
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Operating System

Definition of an Operating System

i. An operating system (OS) is system software that manages the hardware and software resources of
the computer.

ii. An operating system is the software that controls the overall activity of a computer.

iii. The term operating system (OS) denotes the collection of program that act as an interface between
the user’s program and the computer hardware.

The main purpose of the operating system is to effectively and judiciously manage the computer system
resources, such as processors, main memory, secondary storage, input and output devices and files.

Examples of Operating System

Examples of commonly used operating system include:

a. DOS (Disk Operating System)

b. Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP, 7, 8, 10)

c. Unix

d. Linux

e. Mac

f. iOS

g. Android

Types of operating System

i. Real-time operating system (RTOS) - A Real Time Operating System, is an operating system that
rapidly switches between tasks. Real-time operating systems are used to control machinery, scientific
instruments and industrial systems. Examples include Air Traffic Control System, Networked Multimedia
Systems, Command Control Systems, etc.

ii. Single-user/single task OS - this operating system is designed to manage the computer so that one
user can effectively do one thing at a time. Examples- MS DOS, Palm OS etc
iii. Single-user/multi-tasking OS - this operating system is designed to manage the computer so that
one user can effectively do more than one thing at a time. Examples – Microsoft Windows and
Machintosh OS.

iv. Multi-user OS - A multi-user operating system allows many different users to take advantage of the
computer's resources simultaneously. Examples are Unix, Virtual Memory System and mainframe OS.

v. Distributed OS - A distributed operating system manages a group of independent computers and


makes them appear to be a single computer. Examples are Windows server 2003, 2008, 2012, Linux,
Ubuntu etc.

Functions of Operating System

Functions of the operating system include:

1. Starting of the computer: When we switch on a computer, the necessary files of the operating
system get loaded to make it ready to accept command. This process of loading files is called booting.
The operating system boots up the computer.

2. Resource allocation: The operating system allocates or assigns resources.

3. Monitoring of system activities: Another function of the operating system is to monitor the system
activities such as system performance and security.

4. Disk and file management: The operating system contains program that performs functions related
to disk or file management. Some of these functions are: disk formatting, deleting files, creating files and
folders, renaming of files and copying files or folders.

5. User interface: The operating system creates an interface between the user and other application
program. A user interface controls how the user interacts with the computer. An example of user
interface is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Text User Interface (TUI) also known as Command
Line Interface (CLI).

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