CSC204 - Chapter 1.1
CSC204 - Chapter 1.1
CSC204 - Chapter 1.1
1
Understanding Operating System
CSC204
Practical Approach to Operating
System
CS110
Chapter 1.1.1
What is Operating System?
• High-level understand what is an operating system and
the role it plays
• Appreciate the evolution of operating systems tracks the
evolution of hardware, and that evolution is repeated in
each new hardware era.
• Extends the basic hardware with added functionality
• Provides high-level abstractions:
▫ More programmer friendly
▫ Common core for all applications
• It hides the details of the hardware
▫ Makes application code portable
Chapter 1.1.1
What is Operating System?
• Responsible for allocating resources to users and
processes
• Must ensure
▫ No Starvation
▫ Progress
▫ Allocation is according to some desired policy
▫ First-come, first-served; Fair share; Weighted fair share; limits
(quotas), etc…
▫ Overall, that the system is efficiently used
Chapter 1.1.2
Computer System Components
Privileged Mode
Operating System
Applications Requests
(System Calls)
User Mode
Applications Applications
Chapter 1.1.2
What is Operating System?
• Applications should not be able to interfere or bypass the
operating system
▫ OS can enforce the “extended machine”
▫ OS can enforce its resource allocation policies
▫ Prevent applications from interfering with each other
A FAMOUS FORECAST
“Computer in the future may weight no
more than 1.5 ton”
~ Popular Mechanics, 1949
Chapter 1.1.3
History of Operating System
FIRST GENERATION 1945-1955
• Vacuum tubes & wires plug boards technology
• Plug boards replaced with punch cards
• ENIAC – first commercial computer system
• Use 18K vacuum tubes
• OS ?
• NONE !
Chapter 1.1.3
History of Operating System
FIRST GENERATION 1945-1955
Chapter 1.1.3
History of Operating System
FIRST GENERATION 1945-1955
• every instruction needed by the computer to perform the tasks
requested, and the machines were poorly utilized, i.e., the CPU
processed data and made calculations for only a fraction of the
available time. Basically, early programs were designed to use the
resources conservatively at the expense of understand-ability.