CSC 2202 Operating Systems - Lecture 2: Understanding Operating Systems

Flashcards testing concepts from CSC 2202 Lecture 2, covering computer generations, OS roles, core functions, hypervisors, Unix/Linux history, Ubuntu flavors, system calls, and Linux CLI commands.

What five generations are electronic computer developments divided into starting from 1945?

First Generation (1940s-1950s), Second Generation (1950s-1960s), Third Generation (1960s-1970s), Fourth Generation (1970s-Now), and Fifth Generation (Now and Beyond).

What primary circuitry technology, memory type, and cost were associated with First-Generation computers like UNIAC?

Circuitry used vacuum tubes, memory used magnetic drums, data used punched cards/tapes, and the cost was $159,000.00\,USD$.

What hardware innovation replaced vacuum tubes in Second-Generation computers like the IBM 1401?

Transistors, which made computers smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy efficient, and more reliable.

How did a Batch System operate in Second-Generation computing?

An operator loaded a magnetic tape with multiple jobs; a monitor read each job's Job Control Language (JCL), loaded the program into memory, ran it to completion without interruption, returned control to the monitor, and automatically loaded the next job.

Which hardware advancements and input/output devices characterized Third-Generation computers like the DEC PDP-8?

Integrated Circuits (Small-scale SSI, Medium-scale MSI, and Large-scale integration LSI) along with keyboards for input and monitors for output.

What technological breakthrough enabled personal and embedded computing during the Fourth Generation?

Microprocessors utilizing Large-scale (LSI) and Very Large-scale integration (VLSI).

What core computer science discipline and techniques are associated with Fifth-Generation computing?

Artificial Intelligence (including machine learning and deep learning), exploiting techniques like computer vision, robotics, Natural Language Processing, and speech recognition.

What is the formal definition of an Operating System (OS)?

Software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.

What are the two fundamental roles performed by an Operating System?

Role 1: Resource Manager, and Role 2: Extended/Virtual Machine.

How does the OS act as an Extended/Virtual Machine for a programmer?

It provides a simpler, higher-level interface than bare hardware, allowing programmers to see files instead of disk sectors, processes instead of CPU registers, and virtual memory instead of physical RAM.

What are the five core functions of an Operating System?

1. Process Management, 2. Memory Management, 3. I/O Device Management, 4. File System Management, and 5. Protection & Security.

How does the lecture transcript define a process?

A program in execution – including its code, data, stack, and current state.

What are the OS responsibilities under File System Management?

Creating, deleting, opening, closing, reading, and writing files; organizing files into directories; providing protection permissions (read/write/execute for owner/group/others); and managing free space on disk.

How does the OS enforce Protection and Security?

By distinguishing privilege levels (kernel mode vs user mode), using system calls as gateways, checking permissions on every access, associating user and group IDs with processes, and providing auditing.

What is the primary resource focus and goal of a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS)?

To guarantee that critical tasks complete within a specified time bound (deterministic) by focusing on Worst Case Execution Time (WCET), low latency, and zero unpredictable delays.

What is the main structural difference between a Type 1 and a Type 2 hypervisor?

A Type 1 (Bare Metal) hypervisor runs directly on physical hardware without an underlying OS, whereas a Type 2 (Hosted) hypervisor runs as an application on top of an existing host OS.

What are the examples of Type 1 hypervisors listed in the lecture?

VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, Xen, and Proxmox VE.

What performance overhead is typically associated with a Type 2 hypervisor?

Moderate overhead resulting in a $10\text{--}30\%$ performance loss.

What are two core concepts/paradigms introduced by the Unix Revolution?

The Unix Philosophy ("Write programs that do one thing and do it well. Write programs to work together") and the "Everything is a File" paradigm.

Who launched the GNU Project in 1983 and what was its goal?

Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project to create a complete Unix-like operating system that is free software.

Who created the original Linux kernel in 1991 and for what system?

Linus Torvalds wrote the Linux kernel for his 386 PC.

Who launched Ubuntu, in what year was it launched, and what distribution is it based on?

Launched in 2004 by Canonical Ltd. (Mark Shuttleworth), based on Debian.

What kernel version and support timeline apply to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat"?

Kernel version 6.8, with LTS support for $5$ years (until April 2029).

What is an official Ubuntu flavor?

An official distribution that uses the same core system (repositories, kernel, base) but replaces the desktop environment and default applications.

Which desktop environment and memory footprint target define Lubuntu?

LXQt (Lightweight Qt) desktop environment designed for low-spec hardware with a $1\,GB$ RAM requirement.

What software applications and kernel feature come pre-installed with Ubuntu Studio?

Audio software (Ardour, Audacity, Carla), video software (Kdenlive, OBS Studio), graphics software (GIMP, Inkscape, Krita), and a low-latency kernel.

What local features are integrated into Ubuntu Kylin for Chinese-speaking users?

Chinese lunar calendar, weather forecasts for Chinese cities, Baidu search integration, WPS Office, and pre-configured Chinese input methods (Pinyin, Wubi).

How long are official Ubuntu community flavors supported compared to the main Ubuntu LTS release?

Official flavors are supported for $3$ years, while the main Ubuntu LTS release is supported for $5$ years.

Which desktop environment and display server are used in default Ubuntu 24.04 LTS?

GNOME 46 desktop environment and Wayland display server.

What are system calls in the top-down structure of an operating system?

The only gateway that allows user space applications to request privileged execution from kernel space (e.g., read(), write(), open(), fork(), exec(), exit()).

What CPU instruction is executed to switch execution from user mode to kernel mode during a system call?

A trap instruction.

Why did the French government announce a plan in April 2026 to migrate public administration computers from Windows to Linux?

To reduce dependence on American technology, counter US political instability, and enhance digital sovereignty ("Regain control of our digital destiny").

Which terminal commands were demonstrated during the Ubuntu tour for Memory Management?

cat /proc/meminfo and free -h

Which terminal commands were demonstrated during the Ubuntu tour for Device Management?

dmesg | head -20 and lsblk