Operating system

Why do we need operating systems?

• an operating system is essential for managing the hardware and software resources of a computer system

• they provide an interface between the user and the hardware, allowing the user to interact with the system and run applications

What are the main functions of an operating system?

• resource management

• file management

• interrupt handling

• security

• providing a platform for software to run

• providing a user interface

• providing utilities

Resource management

• Operating systems manage the computer's resources, including the CPU, memory, disk drives, and printers

• They allocate resources to specific tasks and ensure that they are used effectively

File management

• operating system handles the storage, retrieval and manipulations of data files

• when working with files, operating systems provide GUI of the file system that allows the user to decide which directory a file should be saved in and what the file name will be

Interrupt handling

• interrupt events require immediate attention from the CPU

• in order to maintain the smooth running system, interrupts needed to be handled and processed in a timely manner

Security

• Operating systems provide various security features such as password-protected system accounts, a firewall, virus scanning and file encryption

• Password-protected system accounts are a very common feature in operating systems

• System accounts can also be restricted from performing certain actions, e.g. editing network settings, installing unapproved software, changing the account settings of other users

Providing a platform for software to run

• operating systems provide a platform on which application software can run, this is mainly by allowing software access to system resource