OCR Specification: J277 5.1: Operating Systems Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the definitions and functions of operating systems based on the OCR J277 specification.

Operating System (OS)

Software that helps to manage the resources of a computer system and provide the interface between the user and the computer’s hardware.

Memory Management

The process where the OS transfers programs in and out of RAM from the hard drive or virtual memory when processing is required, and removes them when closed to free up space.

Multitasking

The ability of an operating system to appear as if more than one process is being executed at a time, even though the OS can only perform one process at a time.

Peripheral

An external device connected to a computer system used to input or output data.

Device Driver

A hardware-dependent and OS-specific program that provides an interface for the OS to interact and communicate with an external device by translating instructions into a format the hardware understands.

Buffer

A storage area used to temporarily store data until it can be processed, typically employed because the CPU and peripherals process data at different speeds.

User Management

A function of the OS that allows for the creation, management, and deletion of individual accounts, granting different access rights, and monitoring login activity.

File Management

The creation and maintenance of a logical management system to organise files and directories, allowing operations like naming, copying, moving, and setting access rights.

User Interface

A function of the operating system that allows a human to interact with the computer system.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

The way in which a user can navigate a computer system.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

The most common user interface that uses icons, windows, folder systems, taskbars, and menus to allow user interaction.

Command-Line Interface (CLI)

An entirely text-based interface that requires users to interact with the system by typing specific commands.

Touch-sensitive interface

A type of interface commonly used on devices such as smartphones.

Voice-sensitive interface

A type of interface used for interaction with devices like smart speakers.

Menu-driven interface

A type of interface where a user navigates through a series of menus, commonly found on ATMs in banks.