Overview of Operating System
An operating system is a system software that manages all computer hardware, software resources, and it also provides common services for computer programs.
An OS acts as an central between the user of a computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an OS is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in a convenient and efficient manner. An OS is a software that manages the computer hardware. The hardware must provide suitable mechanisms to ensure the correct operation of the computer system and to stop user programs from interpose with the proper operation of the system.
An Operating system is a software which acts as an interface in the middle of the end user and computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one operating system to run other programs. An application like Chrome, Photos, Game, etc needs some environment in which it will run and perform its own task. The operating system helps you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or mobile device without having an OS.
Examples of Operating System with Market Share
OS Name | Share |
Windows | 40.34 |
Android | 37.95 |
iOS | 15.44 |
Mac OS | 4.34 |
Linux | 0.95 |
Chrome OS | 0.14 |
Windows Phone OS | 0.06 |
History Of OS
- Operating systems were first developed in the late
1950s to manage tape storage - The General Motors Research Lab implemented the first OS in the early 1950s for their IBM 701
- In the mid-1960s, operating systems started to use disks
- In the late 1960s, the first version of the Unix OS was developed
- The first OS built by Microsoft was DOS. It was built in 1981 by purchasing the 86-DOS software from a Seattle company
- The present-day popular OS Windows first came to existence in 1985 when a GUI was created and paired with MS-DOS.
Features of OS
- Protected and supervisor mode
- Allows disk access and file systems Device drivers Networking Security
- Program Execution
- Memory management Virtual Memory Multitasking
- Handling I/O operations
- Manipulation of the file system
- Error Detection and handling
- Resource allocation
- Information and Resource Protection
What is Kernel?
Features of Kernel:-
- Low-level scheduling of processes
- Inter-process communication
- Process synchronization
- Context switching
Types of Kernel:-
There are many types of kernels that exists, but among them, the two most popular kernels are:
- Monolithic
A monolithic kernel is a single code or block of the program. It provides all the required services offered by the OS. It is a simplistic design which makes a distinct communication layer between the software and hardware.
2.Microkernels
Microkernel conducts all system resources. In this type of kernel, services are executed in different address space. The user services are reserved in user address space, and kernel services are reserved under kernel address space. So, it helps to reduce the size of both the kernel and operating system.
Functions of Operating System
In an operating system software performs each of the function:
- Process management:- Process management helps OS to create and delete processes. It also provides mechanisms for contemporize and transmit among processes.
- Memory management:- Memory management module performs the task of assigning and de-assigning of memory space to programs in need of this resources.
- File management:- It manages all the file-related activities such as organization storage, retrieval, naming, sharing, and protection of files.
- Device Management: Device management keeps tracks of all devices. This module is also in charge of this task is known as the I/O controller. It also performs the task of allocation and de-allocation of the devices.
- I/O System Management: One of the main things of any OS is to hide the oddity of that hardware devices from the user.
- Secondary-Storage Management: Systems have various levels of storage in which involves primary storage, secondary storage, and cache storage. Instructions and data must be reserved in primary storage or cache so that a running program can reference it.
- Security:- Security module defend the data and information of a computer system in opposite to malware threat and authorized access.
- Command interpretation: This module is explaining commands given by the and acting system resources to proceed the commands.
- Networking: A distributed system is a batch of processors which do not distribute memory, hardware devices, or a clock. The processors communicate with one another throughout the network.
- Job accounting: Keeping track of time & resource used by various job and users.
- Communication management: organizer and assignment of interpreters, compilers, and another software resource of the several users of the computer systems.
Types of Operating System
- Batch Operating System
- Multitasking/Time Sharing OS
- Multiprocessing OS
- Real Time OS
- Distributed OS
- Network OS
- Mobile OS
Batch Operating System
Some computer processes are very extended and tedious. To speed the same process, a task with a similar type of needs are batched together and run as a group.The user of a batch OS never directly communicate with the computer. In this type of operating system, every user prepares her or his job on an offline device like a punch card and submit it to the computer operator.
Multi-Tasking/Time-sharing Operating systems
Time-sharing OS enables people located at a different terminal(shell) to use a single computer system at the same time. The processor time (CPU) which is divided among multiple users is tag as time sharing.
Real time OS
A real time OS time interval to process and respond to inputs is very small. Examples: Space Software Systems, Military Software Systems.
Distributed Operating System
Distributed systems use many processors located in different machines to provide very fast computation to its users.
Network Operating System
Network Operating System runs on a server. It provides the capacity to serve to manage user, data, security, groups, application, and other networking functions.
Mobile OS
Mobile OS are those operating system which are specially designed to power smartphones, tablets, and wearables devices.
Some most famous mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, but others include BlackBerry, Web, and watchOS.
Difference between Firmware and Operating System
Firmware | Operating System |
Firmware is one kind of programming that is embedded on a chip in the device which controls that specific device. | OS provides functionality over and above that which is provided by the firmware. |
Firmware is programs that been encoded by the manufacture of the IC or something and cannot be changed. | OS is a program that can be installed by the user and can be changed. |
It is stored on non-volatile memory. | OS is stored on the hard drive. |
Difference between 32-Bit vs. 64 Bit Operating System
Parameters | 32. Bit | 64. Bit |
Architecture and Software | Allow 32 bit of data processing simultaneously | Allow 64 bit of data processing simultaneously |
Compatibility | 32-bit applications require 32-bit OS and CPUs. | 64-bit applications require a 64-bit OS and CPU. |
Systems Available | All versions of Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, Linux, etc. | Windows XP Professional, Vista, 7, Mac OS X and Linux. |
Memory Limits | 32-bit systems are limited to 3.2 GB of RAM. | 64-bit systems allow a maximum 17 Billion GB of RAM. |
The advantage of using Operating System
- Easy to use with a Graphical User Interface(GUI).
- OS improves work efficiency and saves time by reducing the complexity
- It offers an environment in which a user can execute applications/programs
- It provides the pc system resources with easy to use format
- Allows demand paging and prepaging
- Allows you to cover details of hardware by creating an abstraction
- OS acts as an intermediary among the hardware components and applications
- Acts as an mediator between all software's and hardware's of the system
Disadvantages of using Operating System
- If any issue occurs in OS, you'll lose all the contents which are stored in your system
- Operating system's software is sort of expensive for little size organization which adds burden on them. Example Windows
- It is never entirely secure as a threat can occur at any time
Summary
- An OS may be a software which acts as an interface between the top user and hardware
- Operating systems were first developed within the late 1950s to manage tape storage
- The kernel is that the central component of a computer operating systems. The only job performed by the kernel is to the manage the communication between the software and therefore the hardware
- Two most popular kernels are Monolithic and MicroKernels
- Process, Device, File, I/O, Secondary-Storage, Memory management are various functions of an OS
- Batch, Multitasking/Time Sharing, Multiprocessing, Real Time, Distributed, Network, Mobile are various sorts of Operating Systems
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