Operating Systems 1

CS 241
Spring 2021

By
Marwa M. A. Elfattah

Main Reference
Operating System Concepts, Abraham Silbrschatz,
10th Edition
Fundamentals
 When you power up a computer, what happens?
 For a computer to start it needs to have an initial
simple program to run – bootstrap - bootloader.
• It is stored within the computer hardware in
firmware (BIOS).
 It initializes all aspects of the system
 It must locate the operating-system kernel and load
it into memory.
 Once the kernel is loaded and executing, it can start
providing services.
 Then, the system is fully booted, and the system
waits for some event to occur.
 When you power up a computer, what happens?
 For a computer to start it needs to have an initial
simple program to run – bootstrap - bootloader.
• It is stored within the computer hardware in
firmware (BIOS).
 It initializes all aspects of the system
 It must locate the operating-system kernel and load
it into memory. What is the
 Once the kernel is loaded and
Kernel?
executing, it can start
providing services.
 Then, the system is fully booted, and the system
waits for some event to occur.
 Operating System Kernel
 “The one program running at all times on the
computer” is the kernel, part of the operating
system
 Everything else is either
• A system services – system utility (ships with
the operating system, but not part of the kernel),
such as: file manipulation, status information,
background services,…
• An application program, all programs not
associated with the operating system
 Operating System Kernel
 A system cannot function without the Operating
System, and an Operating System cannot exist
without the Kernel.
 Kernel is the operating system core. It functions at
the lowest level of the operating system
 It is a programs which is close to the hardware of
the system and so,
• It performs all the tasks of the operating systems
which involve a link between both the hardware
and the user level applications.
 Dual Mode

A computer operates in two modes, systems

frequently switch between them.
 Kernel Mode Versus User Mode
 When the computer is running application software,
it is in user mode.
• It is also known as less privileged mode, slave
mode or restricted mode.
 Kernel Mode Versus User Mode
 After the application software request for hardware,
the computer enters kernel mode.
• Kernel mode is also called as system
mode or privileged mode.
• If a process in kernel mode fails the entire
operating system might fail.
 Kernel Mode Versus User Mode
 Mode bit - provided by hardware - provides ability
to distinguish when system is running user code or
kernel code
 System call and interrupts changes mode to
kernel, return from call resets it to user
 Kernel Mode Versus User Mode
 Mode bit - provided by hardware - provides ability
System
to distinguish when system is running call?
user code or
kernel code Interrupt?
 System call and interrupts changes mode to
kernel, return from call resets it to user
 System Calls
 System calls provide the means for a user program
to ask the operating system to perform tasks
Programming interface to the services provided
by the OS
 EX: How to read data from one file and copy them to
another file?
• Users can use:
command like: cp in.txt out.txt
mouse-based and icon-based systems
…

• To do so system call sequence can be:

 System Calls
 System calls provide the means for a user program
Write system
to ask the operating prompt to
toperform
screentasks
Accept input //input file name
Programming
Writeinterface
prompt to tothe services provided
screen
by the OSAccept input //output file name
Open the input file
 EX: How to read data from one file and copy them to
if file doesn't exist, abort
another file? Create output file
• Users can use:
if file exists, abort
Loop
command like: cp in.txt out.txt
Read from input file
mouse-basedWrite to output
and icon-based file
systems
… Until read fails
Close output file
• To do so system
Write call sequencemessage
completion can be: to screen
Terminate normally
 System Calls
 Most developers design programs according to an
application programming interface (API).
need know nothing about how the system call is
implemented or what it does during execution.
only obey the API and understand what will be a result.
The API specifies a set of functions that are
available to an application programmer

System calls can often be more detailed and

difficult to work with

 Run-time environment (RTE) provides system-call

interface that serves as the link to system calls
made available by the operating system.
System Calls
The standard C
library is an example
of a portion of the
system-call interface.
If printf() is invoked.
The C library intercepts
this call and invokes
the necessary system
call (or calls).
The C library takes the
value returned and
passes it back to the
user program
 System Calls Handling
 The system-call interface intercepts function calls in
the API and invokes the necessary system calls
within the operating system.
• A number is associated with each system call
• System-call interface maintains a table indexed
according to these numbers
• The system call interface invokes the intended
system call in OS kernel and returns status of the
system call and any return values
Open() System Call
 System Calls Handling
 System call parameters can be passed to the
operating system in three different ways:
• In registers.
There may be more parameters than registers.
• In a block, or table, in memory, and the address of
the block is passed as a parameter in a register.
Linux uses a combination of these approaches. If there
are five or fewer parameters registers are used,
otherwise memory block used
• Pushed, onto a stack by the program and popped
off the stack by the operating system.
 Why Applications are Operating System Specific
 Apps compiled on one system usually not
executable on other operating systems
 Each operating system provides its own unique
system calls, own file formats, etc
 Apps can be multi-operating system
• Written in interpreted language like Python,
Ruby, and interpreter available on multiple
operating systems
• App written in language that includes a VM
containing the running app (like Java)
• Use standard language (like C), compile
separately on each operating system to run on
each.
 Why Applications are Operating System Specific
 Apps compiled on one system usually not
executable on other operating systems
 Each operating system provides its own unique
system calls,What
own file is the etc
formats,
 Apps can be multi-operating system
Interrupt?
• Written in interpreted language like Python,
Ruby, and interpreter available on multiple
operating systems
• App written in language that includes a VM
containing the running app (like Java)
• Use standard language (like C), compile
separately on each operating system to run on
each.
 Interrupts
 Interrupts are a key way in which hardware interacts
with the operating system.
 The CPU hardware has a wire called the interrupt-
request line
 A hardware device triggers an interrupt by sending a
signal to the CPU to alert the CPU that some event
requires attention.
 A trap or exception is a software interrupt
Software error (e.g., division by zero)
Or request process problems include infinite
loop, processes modifying each other or the
operating system,…
 Interrupts
 The interrupt is managed by a separated segments
of code determine what action should be taken for
each type of interrupt - interrupt handler.
• The operating system preserves the state of the
CPU by storing the registers and the program
counter
• Determines which type of interrupt has occurred:
• The interrupt must transfer control to the
appropriate interrupt service routine, through:
a generic routine
or interrupt vector, to speed up and reduce searching
Example
Example
Example
Example
But, How Operating System
is Implemented??
 Operating System Implementation
 A system as large and complex as a modern
operating system must be engineered carefully if it is
to function properly and be modified easily.
 A common approach is to partition the task into
small components, or modules, rather than have
one single system.
Each of these modules should be a well-defined
portion of the system, with carefully defined
interfaces and functions.
 Operating System Implementation
 Early operating systems were written in assembly
language.
 Now, The lowest levels of the kernel might be written
in assembly language and C. Higher-level routines
might be written in C and C++, and system libraries
might be written in C++ or even higher-level
languages.
 Android provides a nice example:
Itskernel is written mostly in C with some assembly
language.
Most Android system libraries are written in C or C++.
Itsapplication frameworks—which provide the developer
interface to the system—are written mostly in Java.
Thank You