Chapter Four

Operating System (OS)

& Utility Programs

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Objectives
• Describe the two types of software
• Understand the startup process for a personal computer
• Describe the term user interface
• Explain features common to most operating systems
• Know the difference between stand-alone operating systems
and network operating systems
• Identify various stand-alone operating systems
• Identify various network operating systems
• Recognize devices that use embedded operating systems
• Discuss the purpose of the following utilities: file viewer, file
compression, diagnostic, uninstaller, disk scanner, disk
defragmenter, backup, and screen saver 2
What is an operating system
(OS)?
• Set of programs that coordinates all activities among
computer hardware resources
• Functions of an operating system include:
• Start up computer
• Administer security
• Control a network
• Access the Web
• Monitor performance and provide house keeping services
• Schedule jobs and configure devices
• Manage memory
• Manage programs
• Provide user interface 3
• Location of the OS
• Resides on ROM in hand held devices
• On hard disk in most cases

• Cross platform application :

• One that runs identically on multiple operating systems
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Booting
• Process of starting or re-starting a computer
• Cold boot:
• Process of turning on a computer after it has been powered off
completely
• Warm boot:
• Process of restarting a computer that is already powered on

• What messages display on the screen when you boot the

computer?
• BIOS version and copyright notice
• Total amount of memory
• Devices detected and tested
• Windows message – starting windows
• Drivers loaded 5
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Boot Process
Step 1: Power supply unit sends signal to components in system
unit
Step 2: The processor accesses Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
to start computer

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Step 3: Basic Input Output System (BIOS) checks components
such as mouse, keyboard connectors, and expansion cards in a
process referred as the Power on Self Test (POST)

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• Step 4: Results of POST are compared to data in the
Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) chip

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• Step 5: BIOS looks for the media that contains the system files.
The drive that contains operating system is called boot drive

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• Step 6:
 Boot program loads kernel of operating system into Random
Access Memory (RAM) from boot drive.
 Operating system in memory takes control of computer

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• Step 7: Operating system loads configuration information and
displays desktop on screen
• Operating system executes programs in StartUp folder

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Memory management
• Optimizes the use of random access memory (RAM)
• allocates, or assigns, data and instructions to area of memory
while they are being processed
• monitors contents of memory
• clears items from memory when processor no longer requires
them

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Virtual memory (VM)
Management
• Operating system allocates portion of hard disk to function like
RAM
• Paging
• Thrashing

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How does an operating system
schedule jobs?
• Job/process: - An operation the processor manages
• Process states:
• Running
• Ready
• Blocked
• Different scheduling algorithms are used
• E.g.
• First Come First Served (FCFS)
• Shortest job first
• Round Robin

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Spooling
• Print jobs sent to buffer instead of directly to printer, where
print jobs wait their turn

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Device driver
• Small program that tells operating system how to
communicate with a device
• Each device requires its own specific driver

Device Driver

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Performance Monitoring
• The OS provides a program, called performance monitor, that
assesses and reports information about various system
resources and devices

• Manage Files
• Includes a program called file manager, such as Windows Explorer
• Commands include Copy, Rename, Delete, Move, Format, and
New Folder

• File allocation table (FAT)

• A table of information that operating system uses to locate files
on a disk

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Features of a network operating
system?
• Server is computer that controls access to network and
provides centralized storage area
• Other computers on the network are called clients

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Administer security
• Most multiuser operating systems allow each user to log on

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Active Directory (AD)
• Active Directory (AD) Allows network administrators to
manage all network information including users, devices,
settings, and connections from central environment

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Common characteristics of operating
systems
• device-dependent:
• One that runs only on specific type of computer
• device-independent
• Runs on many manufacturers’ computers
• proprietary operating system
• Privately owned and limited to specific vendor or computer
model
• downward-compatible
• Recognizes and works with application software written for
earlier version of operating system
• upward-compatible
• Written for earlier version of operating system, but also runs with
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new version
Categories of Operating Systems
• Stand-alone:
• Windows 2000 professional
• Windows XP
• Windows 7
• Mac OS X
• UNIX
• Linux
• Network:
• Windows server 2003
• Windows Server 2008
• UNIX
• Linux
• Embedded:
• Windows CE
• Palm OS 23
• Android
• Tizen
• DOS (Disk Operating System)
• Refers to several single user operating systems developed in the
early 1980s for personal computers

• Mac OS?
• Multitasking operating system available only for computers
manufactured by Apple
• Apple’s Macintosh operating system was first commercially
successful GUI

• UNIX
• Command-line multitasking operating system

• Linux
• Popular, free, open-source multitasking UNIX-type operating
system 24
• Open-source software means code is available to the public
• Embedded Operating System
• Operating system found on most handheld computers and small
devices e.g. Palm OS, Windows CE, android, tizen…
• Resides on a ROM chip

• A network operating system (NOS) is a computer operating system

that is designed primarily to support workstation, personal
computer, and, in some instances, older terminal that are connected
on a local area network (LAN).

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Utility program
• System software that performs a specific task
• Examples include:
• File viewer
• File compression
• Diagnostic utility
• Disk scanner
• Disk defragmenter
• Backup utility
• Screen saver

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• Screen Saver
• Causes monitor's screen to display a
moving image or blank screen if there is no
activity for a specified time period
• Prevents ghosting
• Popular for security, business, or
entertainment purposes

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 Summary of Operating
Systems and Utility Programs
• System software
• Operating systems
• Operating system functions
• Types of operating systems
• Stand-alone operating systems
• Network operating systems
• Embedded operating systems
• Utility programs
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