OS (Operating System)

An operating system (OS) is a basic piece of software that controls computer hardware and software resources and provides standard services to programmes. A computer couldn’t run software programmes without an operating system.

Examples of operating systems

Windows OS: A popular operating system developed by Microsoft, widely used in personal computers, servers, and mobile devices.
macOS: A proprietary operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computers.
Linux OS: A free and open-source operating system, widely used for servers, mainframes, and supercomputers.
Android OS: A mobile operating system developed by Google, used in smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

Why uses an operating system?

Hardware management: An operating system manages the computer’s hardware resources, such as CPU, memory, storage, and input/output devices, ensuring their optimal use and preventing conflicts between them.
Software management: An operating system manages the software resources, such as file systems, network protocols, and device drivers, ensuring their availability and proper functioning.
User interface: An operating system provides a user interface that allows users to interact with the computer, such as a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface (CLI).
Security: An operating system provides security features, such as user authentication, access control, encryption, and firewall, to protect the computer and its data from unauthorized access and attacks.
Application support: An operating system provides a platform for software applications to run on, ensuring compatibility and stability across different applications.

Difference between Paging and Segmentation

Main differences between Paging and Segmentation Paging uses fixed-size blocks called pages, while Segmentation uses variable-sized blocks called segments. Paging...Read More

What is Segmentation in OS?

Segmentation is a memory management technique used in operating systems where a process is divided into segments or blocks of...Read More

What is Paging in the OS?

Paging is a memory management technique used by operating systems to bring processes or programs from secondary storage (such as...Read More

What are necessary conditions which can lead to a deadlock situation in a system?

Deadlock is a situation in which two or more processes in a system are waiting for each other to release...Read More

What factors determine whether a detection-algorithm must be utilized in a deadlock avoidance system?

What factors determine whether a detection-algorithm must be utilized in a deadlock avoidance system? Two important factors to consider when...Read More

Semaphores in OS: Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Semaphores are a synchronization tool used in operating systems to coordinate and control access to shared resources by multiple processes...Read More

Advantages and Disadvantages of IPC in OS

IPC stands for Inter-Process Communication and refers to techniques used in operating systems to allow different processes to communicate and...Read More

IPC in OS: Mechanisms and Types

IPC, or Inter-Process Communication, is a technique used in operating systems to allow different processes or programs to communicate with...Read More

Overlays: An Essential Technique for Memory Management

Define overlays? An overlay is a technique used to allow a program to exceed the amount of memory allocated to...Read More

Difference between Process and Thread

Process An independent program execution unit. Runs in its own memory space. Can communicate with other processes using inter-process communication...Read More