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Operating Systems Expanded

An operating system (OS) serves as an intermediary between users and hardware, managing resources and providing user interfaces. Key components include the kernel, process and memory management, file system management, I/O management, and security mechanisms. Modern trends in OS design encompass virtualization, real-time systems, and cloud-based solutions.

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5 views3 pages

Operating Systems Expanded

An operating system (OS) serves as an intermediary between users and hardware, managing resources and providing user interfaces. Key components include the kernel, process and memory management, file system management, I/O management, and security mechanisms. Modern trends in OS design encompass virtualization, real-time systems, and cloud-based solutions.

Uploaded by

Tim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Operating Systems

An operating system (OS) acts as an intermediary between users and computer hardware,

managing system resources and providing a user interface. It enables software applications to run

on hardware platforms.

The kernel is the core part of the OS that manages CPU, memory, and device communication.

There are monolithic kernels (e.g., Linux) and microkernels (e.g., Minix), each with distinct

architecture and performance characteristics.

Process management includes creating, scheduling, and terminating processes. The OS uses

process control blocks (PCBs) to track process states and resources. Scheduling algorithms like

Round Robin and Shortest Job First determine execution order.

Memory management involves tracking each byte in a computer's memory and allocating or freeing

memory space. Techniques include paging, segmentation, and virtual memory, which allows

systems to use disk space as additional RAM.


File system management organizes and stores files on storage devices. Common file systems

include FAT32 (simple and compatible), NTFS (secure and robust), and ext4 (used in Linux

systems).

Input/output (I/O) management controls communication with peripherals like keyboards, printers,

and storage drives. Device drivers translate OS commands into hardware-specific actions.

Multitasking allows multiple programs to run concurrently, improving efficiency. Preemptive

multitasking lets the OS interrupt programs to ensure fair CPU use. Multiprocessing supports

multiple CPUs or cores for parallel task execution.

User interfaces vary from command-line interfaces (CLI) used in Unix/Linux to graphical user

interfaces (GUI) like Windows and macOS. CLI offers powerful scripting capabilities, while GUI

provides ease of use.


Security and protection mechanisms prevent unauthorized access and ensure system integrity.

These include authentication (e.g., usernames/passwords), access control lists (ACLs), and

encryption.

System calls provide a controlled interface between applications and the OS. They allow programs

to request services like file access or network communication.

Virtualization allows multiple OS instances on a single machine. Hypervisors (Type 1 and Type 2)

enable this by abstracting hardware from the OS.

Modern trends in OS design include real-time systems, cloud-based OS, and OSes for embedded

systems in IoT devices.

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