inside os

Introduction to OS

Introduction to OS If you have a computer, then you have heard about operating systems. Any desktop or laptop PC that you buy normally comes pre-loaded with Windows XP. Macintosh computers come pre-loaded with OS X. Many corporate servers use the Linux or UNIX operating systems. The operating system (OS) is the first thing loaded onto the computer — without the operating system, …

Introduction to OS Read More »

Essential Elements of OS

OS Bare Bones Not all computers have operating systems. The computer that controls the microwave oven in your kitchen, for example, doesn’t need an operating system. It has one set of tasks to perform, very straightforward input to expect (a numbered keypad and a few pre-set buttons) and simple, never-changing hardware to control. For a …

Essential Elements of OS Read More »

Types of Operating System

Within the broad family of operating systems, there are generally four types, categorized based on the types of computers they control and the sort of applications they support. The broad categories are: • Real-time operating system (RTOS) Real-Time Operating Systems are used to control machinery, scientific instruments and industrial systems. An RTOS typically has very little user-interface capability, …

Types of Operating System Read More »

Task of OS

At the simplest level, an operating system does two things: 1. It manages the hardware and software resources of the system. In a desktop computer, these resources include such things as the processor, memory, disk space, etc. (On a cell phone, they include the keypad, the screen, the address book, the phone dialer, the battery and the network connection.) 2. It provides a stable, consistent way for applications to deal …

Task of OS Read More »

Booting! What is this?

What is Booting? Booting (booting up) is a bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. A boot sequence is the set of operations the computer performs when it is switched on that loads an operating system. When you turn on the power to a computer, the first program that …

Booting! What is this? Read More »

What is Process Management?

What is Process Management? The heart of managing the processor comes down to two related issues: • Ensuring that each process and application receives enough of the processor’s time to function properly. • Using as many processor cycles for real work as is possible. The basic unit of software that the operating system deals with …

What is Process Management? Read More »

Device Management

Device Management The path between the operating system and virtually all hardware not on the computer’s motherboard goes through a special program called a driver. Much of a driver’s function is to be the translator between the electrical signals of the hardware subsystems and the high-level programming languages of the operating system and application programs. Drivers take data that the operating system …

Device Management Read More »

UI Management

UI Management Application Interface just as drivers provide a way for applications to make use of hardware subsystems without having to know every detail of the hardware’s operation, application program interfaces (APIs) let application programmers use functions of the computer and operating system without having to directly keep track of all the details in the CPU’s operation. …

UI Management Read More »

Computer Network and OS

Computer Network and OS For desktop systems, access to a LAN or the Internet has become such an expected feature that in many ways it’s hard to discuss an operating system without making reference to its connections to other computers and servers. Operating system developers have made the Internet the standard method for delivering crucial operating system …

Computer Network and OS Read More »

Scroll to Top