Operating System

An Operating System (OS) is an interface between computer user and computer

hardware. An operating system is a software which performs all the basic tasks like

file management, memory management, process management, handling input and

output, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

Some popular Operating Systems include Linux Operating System, Windows Operating

System, VMS, OS/400, AIX, z/OS, etc.

Functions of operating system:

Following are some of important functions of an operating System.

• Memory Management

• Processor Management

• Device Management

• File Management

Memory Management:

Memory management refers to management of Primary Memory or Main Memory. Main

memory is a large array of words or bytes where each word or byte has its own

address. Main memory provides a fast storage that can be accessed directly by the
CPU. For a program to be executed, it must in the main memory.

An Operating System does the following activities for memory management -

o Keeps tracks of primary memory, i.e., what part of it are in use by whom, what

part are not in use. o In multiprogramming, the OS decides which process will get

memory when and how much. o Allocates the memory when a process requests it

to do so.

o De-allocates the memory when a process no longer needs it or has been

terminated.

Processor Management:

In multiprogramming environment, the OS decides which process gets the processor

when and for how much time. This function is called process scheduling. An Operating

System does the following activities for processor management -

o Keeps tracks of processor and status of process. The program responsible for

this task is known as traffic controller.

o Allocates the processor (CPU) to a process.

o De-allocates processor when a process is no longer required.

Device Management:

An Operating System manages device communication via their respective drivers. It

does the following activities for device management -

• Keeps tracks of all devices. Program responsible for this task is known as the
 I/O controller.

• Decides which process gets the device when and for how much time.

• Allocates the device in the efficient way.

• De-allocates devices

File Management:

A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usage. These

directories may contain files and other directions.

An Operating System does the following activities for file management -

• Keeps track of information, location, uses, status etc. The collective facilities are
often known as file system.

• Decides who gets the resources.

• Allocates the resources.

• De-allocates the resources.

Other Important Activities

Following are some of the important activities that an Operating System performs -

Security - By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents unauthorized

access to programs and data.

Control over system performance - Recording delays between request for a service and
response from the system.

Job accounting - Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs and users.

Error detecting aids - Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and other

debugging and error detecting aids.

Coordination between other softwares and users - Coordination and assignment of

compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the various users of the

computer system

Types of Operating System:

Batch operating system:

The users of a batch operating system do not interact with the computer directly.

Each user prepares his job on an off-line device like punch cards and submits it to

the computer operator. To speed up processing, jobs with similar needs are

batched together and run as a group. The programmers leave their programs with

the operator and the operator then sorts the programs with similar requirements

into batches. e.g. Unix.

Time-sharing operating systems:

Time-sharing is a technique which enables many people, located at various

terminals, to use a particular computer system at the same time. Time-sharing

or multitasking is a logical extension of multiprogramming. Processor's time

which is shared among multiple users simultaneously is termed as time-sharing.

Single User Operating System

It is a type of operating system which allows only one user at a time. Operating

system for personal computer (PC) is a single user OS. They are designed to

manage one task at a time. e.g. MS-DOS, Windows 9X.

Multi-Tasking Operating System

In this operating system, more than one processes can be executed concurrently.

It also allows the user to switch between the running applications. e.g. Linux,

Unix, Windows 95. Multi-tasking OS further classified into two types (i)

Preemptive Multitasking OS It is a type of multitasking that allows computer

programs to share operating system and underlying hardware resources. (ii)

Cooperative Multitasking OS It is the simplest form of multitasking. In it, each

program can control the CPU for as long as it need it.

Multi User Operating System

This OS allows multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. It is

used in computer networks that allows same data and applications to be

accessed by multiple users at the same time. e.g. VMS

Network operating System:

A Network Operating System runs on a server and provides the server the

capability to manage data, users, groups, security, applications, and other

networking functions. The primary purpose of the network operating system is to

allow shared file and printer access among multiple computers in a network,

typically a local area network (LAN), a private network or to other networks.

Real Time operating System:

A real-time system is defined as a data processing system in which the time

interval required to process and respond to inputs is so small that it controls the

environment. The time taken by the system to respond to an input and display of

required updated information is termed as the response time. So in this method,

the response time is very less as compared to online processing. e.g. Linux etc.
There are two types of real-time operating systems.

Hard real-time systems:

Hard real-time systems guarantee that critical tasks complete on time. In hard real-

time systems, secondary storage is limited or missing and the data is stored in ROM. In

these systems, virtual memory is almost never found.

Soft real-time systems:

Soft real-time systems are less restrictive. A critical real-time task gets priority over

other tasks and retains the priority until it completes. Soft real-time systems have

limited utility than hard real-time systems. For example, multimedia, virtual reality,

Advanced Scientific Projects like undersea exploration and planetary rovers, etc.

User Interface

The user interface is one of the most important parts of any operating system. It allows

users to easily access and communicate with the applications and the hardware. The

user can interact with the computer by using mainly two kinds of interface

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

It is a computer program that enables a person to communicate with a computer

 through the use of symbols, visual metaphors and pointing devices. It is best

known for its implementation in Apple products. The first graphical user interface

was designed by Xerox Corporation in 1970s. GUIs can be found in handheld

devices such as MP3 players, portable media players, gaming devices, etc.

Character User Interface (CUI)

It is also known as Command Line Interface (CLI). CUI is a mechanism of

interacting with a computer system or software by typing, commands to perform

specific tasks. CUI only uses text types one after another just as commands used

in MS-DOS

Spooling:

Spooling is an acronym for simultaneous peripheral operations on line. Spooling

refers to putting data of various I/O

jobs in a buffer. This buffer is a

special area in memory or hard disk

which is accessible to I/O devices.

Booting: When the computer starts, the operating system is first loaded (as it is essential
for running all other programs), this process is known as booting.

Cold Boot: Turn ON the computer from an OFF position is called Cold Booting.

Warm Boot: A computer system starts up/reset from a complete powerless state is

called Warm Booting.

Firmwar:

Firmware is a software program that is written to a hardware device. It allows the

hardware to be updated. The contents are saved when a hardware device is turned off

or loses its external power source.

List of Operating Systems

Name of the OS Release Date

Android 2008

iOS 2007

Windows 1985
Mac OS 2001

MS-DOS 1981

Chrome OS 2011

Windows Phone 2010

Blackberry OS 1999

Firefox OS 2013

UNIX 1969
Mobile Operating System

1. Android: Made by Google, Android is the most used mobile OS worldwide. It’s an

open-source system built on Linux code. Android is made mostly for touchscreen

phones and tablets. Being open allows companies to customize Android for their

gadgets. That leads to many different Android devices.

2. Apple Inc. created iOS, the operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Its

smooth interface and tight Apple ecosystem integration are hallmarks. However,

Apple’s total control over hardware and software limits customization options, unlike

Android’s open platform.

3. Huawei developed HarmonyOS (Hongmeng OS in China): work across diverse de-

vices like smartphones, wearables, laptops, smart home gadgets. By offering a unified

ecosystem, Huawei aims to navigate US government restrictions on its business.

4. KaiOS is a basic mobile OS: It powers basic phones without touchscreens. KaiOS is

based on discontinued Firefox OS. KaiOS supports 4G, GPS, and apps like Facebook and

WhatsApp. It offers strong capabilities for non-smartphone mobile devices.

5. Tizen is a Linux-based mobile OS developed by Samsung. It was created with Intel

and the Tizen Association. Tizen powers various Samsung products.

6. Symbian It is the OS developed and sold by Symbian Ltd. It is an open source mobile
OS designed for Smartphones.

7. BlackBerry It is the most secure operating system used in leading Smartphones

developed by BlackBerry company. It also supports WAP 1.2. The latest version of

BlackBerry is BlackBerry OS 10.3.3 which was released in 2016