About operating system

 

What is an operating system?

An operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of its software and hardware. It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.



Following are some of important functions of an operating System. Memory Management

Processor Management
Device Management
File Management
Security
Control over system performance
Job accounting
Error detecting aids
Coordination between other software and users



Types of Operating System –

 Batch Operating System- Sequence of jobs in a program on a computer without manual interventions.

Time-sharing operating System- allows many users to share the computer resources. (Max utilization of the resources).

Distributed operating System- Manages a group of different computers and makes appear to be a single computer.

Network operating system- computers running in different operating systems can participate in a common network (It is used for security purposes).

Real-time operating system – meant applications to fix the deadlines.

 There are several types of operating systems, including:

1. Desktop Operating Systems: These are designed for personal computers and workstations. Examples include Microsoft Windows, macOS (formerly OS X), and various Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian.

2. Server Operating Systems: These are optimized to run on servers and provide services to other computers over a network. Examples include Linux distributions such as CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu Server, and Microsoft Windows Server.

3. Mobile Operating Systems: These are designed for smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Examples include Android (developed by Google), iOS (developed by Apple), and Windows Phone (developed by Microsoft, now discontinued).

4. Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS): These are designed to manage tasks with strict timing requirements, such as embedded systems, industrial robots, and automotive control systems. Examples include FreeRTOS, VxWorks, and QNX.

5. Embedded Operating Systems: These are lightweight operating systems designed to run on embedded devices with limited resources, such as microcontrollers, IoT devices, and consumer electronics. Examples include Embedded Linux, FreeRTOS, and Mbed OS.

Operating systems perform various functions, including managing memory, scheduling tasks, handling input and output devices, providing file management, ensuring security, and facilitating communication between software and hardware components.

Each operating system has its own user interface, file system, set of built-in utilities, and ecosystem of applications and drivers. The choice of operating system depends on factors such as the intended use case, hardware compatibility, software requirements, user preferences, and vendor support.