An Operating System (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware

resources and provides common services for computer programs. When you start using a
Computer System then it's the Operating System (OS) which acts as an interface between
you and the computer hardware. The operating system is really a low level Software which
is categorised as a System Software and supports a computer's basic functions, such as
memory management, tasks scheduling and controlling peripherals etc.

What is Operating System?

An Operating System (OS) is an interface between a computer user and computer
hardware. An operating system is a software which performs all the basic tasks like
file management, memory management, process management, handling input and
output, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.
Generally, a Computer System consists of the following components:

 Computer Users are the users who use the overall computer system.
 Application Softwares are the softwares which users use directly to perform
different activities. These softwares are simple and easy to use like Browsers,
Word, Excel, different Editors, Games etc. These are usually written in high-level
languages, such as Python, Java and C++.
 System Softwares are the softwares which are more complex in nature and they
are more near to computer hardware. These software are usually written in low-
level languages like assembly language and includes Operating
Systems (Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux), Compiler, and Assembler etc.
 Computer Hardware includes Monitor, Keyboard, CPU, Disks, Memory, etc.

So now let's put it in simple words:

If we consider a Computer Hardware is body of the Computer System, then we can say
an Operating System is its soul which brings it alive ie. operational. We can never use a
Computer System if it does not have an Operating System installed on it.

Operating System - Examples

There are plenty of Operating Systems available in the market which include paid
and unpaid (Open Source). Following are the examples of the few most popular
Operating Systems:

 Windows: This is one of the most popular and commercial operating systems
developed and marketed by Microsoft. It has different versions in the market like
Windows 8, Windows 10 etc and most of them are paid.
 Linux This is a Unix based and the most loved operating system first released on
September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Today, it has 30+ variants available like
Fedora, OpenSUSE, CentOS, UBuntu etc. Most of them are available free of
charges though you can have their enterprise versions by paying a nominal
license fee.
 MacOS This is again a kind of Unix operating system developed and marketed
by Apple Inc. since 2001.
 iOS This is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc.
exclusively for its mobile devices like iPhone and iPad etc.
  Android This is a mobile Operating System based on a modified version of the
Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen
mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Some other old but popular Operating Systems include Solaris, VMS, OS/400, AIX,
z/OS, etc.

Operating System - Functions

To brief, Following are some of important functions of an operating system:

 Process Management
 I/O Device Management
 File Management
 Network Management
 Main Memory Management
 Secondary Storage Management
 Security Management
 Command Interpreter System
 Control over system performance
 Job Accounting
 Error Detection and Correction
 Coordination between other software and users
 Many more other important tasks
 An Operating System (OS) is an interface between a computer user and
computer hardware. An operating system is a software which performs all the
basic tasks like file management, memory management, process
management, handling input and output, and controlling peripheral devices
such as disk drives and printers.
 An operating system is software that enables applications to interact with a
computer's hardware. The software that contains the core components of the
operating system is called the kernel.
 The primary purposes of an Operating System are to enable applications
(spftwares) to interact with a computer's hardware and to manage a system's
hardware and software resources.
 Some popular Operating Systems include Linux Operating System, Windows
Operating System, VMS, OS/400, AIX, z/OS, etc. Today, Operating systems
is found almost in every device like mobile phones, personal computers,
mainframe computers, automobiles, TV, Toys etc.

 Definitions
 We can have a number of definitions of an Operating System. Let's go
through few of them:

 An Operting System is the low-level software that supports a computer's basic

functions, such as scheduling tasks and controlling peripherals.

 We can refine this definition as follows:

  An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the user and
the computer hardware and controls the execution of all kinds of programs.

 Following is another definition taken from Wikipedia:

 An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware,

software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.

 Architecture
 We can draw a generic architecture diagram of an Operating System which is
as follows:

Following are some of important functions of an operating System.

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

Memory Management
Memory management refers to management of Primary Memory or Main Memory.
Main memory is a large array of words or bytes where each word or byte has its own
address.
Main memory provides a fast storage that can be accessed directly by the CPU. For
a program to be executed, it must in the main memory. An Operating System does
the following activities for memory management −
 Keeps tracks of primary memory, i.e., what part of it are in use by whom, what
part are not in use.
 In multiprogramming, the OS decides which process will get memory when
and how much.
 Allocates the memory when a process requests it to do so.
 De-allocates the memory when a process no longer needs it or has been
terminated.

Processor Management
In multiprogramming environment, the OS decides which process gets the processor
when and for how much time. This function is called process scheduling. An
Operating System does the following activities for processor management −
 Keeps tracks of processor and status of process. The program responsible for
this task is known as traffic controller.
 Allocates the processor (CPU) to a process.
 De-allocates processor when a process is no longer required.

Device Management
An Operating System manages device communication via their respective drivers. It
does the following activities for device management −
 Keeps tracks of all devices. Program responsible for this task is known as
the I/O controller.
 Decides which process gets the device when and for how much time.
 Allocates the device in the efficient way.
 De-allocates devices.

File Management
A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usage.
These directories may contain files and other directions.
An Operating System does the following activities for file management −
 Keeps track of information, location, uses, status etc. The collective facilities
are often known as file system.
 Decides who gets the resources.
 Allocates the resources.
 De-allocates the resources.
Other Important Activities
Following are some of the important activities that an Operating System performs −
 Security − By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents
unauthorized access to programs and data.
 Control over system performance − Recording delays between request for
a service and response from the system.
 Job accounting − Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs
and users.
 Error detecting aids − Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and
other debugging and error detecting aids.
 Coordination between other softwares and users − Coordination and
assignment of compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the
various users of the computer systems.

Components of Operating System

There are various components of an Operating System to perform well defined
tasks. Though most of the Operating Systems differ in structure but logically they
have similar components. Each component must be a well-defined portion of a
system that appropriately describes the functions, inputs, and outputs.
There are following 8-components of an Operating System:

1. Process Management
2. I/O Device Management
3. File Management
4. Network Management
5. Main Memory Management
6. Secondary Storage Management
7. Security Management
8. Command Interpreter System

Following section explains all the above components in more detail:

Process Management
A process is program or a fraction of a program that is loaded in main memory. A
process needs certain resources including CPU time, Memory, Files, and I/O devices
to accomplish its task. The process management component manages the multiple
processes running simultaneously on the Operating System.
A program in running state is called a process.

The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with
process management:

 Create, load, execute, suspend, resume, and terminate processes.

 Switch system among multiple processes in main memory.
  Provides communication mechanisms so that processes can communicate with
each others
 Provides synchronization mechanisms to control concurrent access to shared
data to keep shared data consistent.
 Allocate/de-allocate resources properly to prevent or avoid deadlock situation.

I/O Device Management

One of the purposes of an operating system is to hide the peculiarities of specific
hardware devices from the user. I/O Device Management provides an abstract level
of H/W devices and keep the details from applications to ensure proper use of
devices, to prevent errors, and to provide users with convenient and efficient
programming environment.
Following are the tasks of I/O Device Management component:

 Hide the details of H/W devices

 Manage main memory for the devices using cache, buffer, and spooling
 Maintain and provide custom drivers for each device.

File Management
File management is one of the most visible services of an operating system.
Computers can store information in several different physical forms; magnetic tape,
disk, and drum are the most common forms.
A file is defined as a set of correlated information and it is defined by the creator of
the file. Mostly files represent data, source and object forms, and programs. Data
files can be of any type like alphabetic, numeric, and alphanumeric.
A files is a sequence of bits, bytes, lines or records whose meaning is defined by its
creator and user.

The operating system implements the abstract concept of the file by managing mass
storage device, such as types and disks. Also files are normally organized into
directories to ease their use. These directories may contain files and other
directories and so on.
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with file
management:

 File creation and deletion

 Directory creation and deletion
 The support of primitives for manipulating files and directories
 Mapping files onto secondary storage
 File backup on stable (nonvolatile) storage media

Network Management
The definition of network management is often broad, as network management
involves several different components. Network management is the process of
managing and administering a computer network. A computer network is a collection
of various types of computers connected with each other.
Network management comprises fault analysis, maintaining the quality of service,
provisioning of networks, and performance management.
Network management is the process of keeping your network healthy for an efficient
communication between different computers.

Following are the features of network management:

 Network administration
 Network maintenance
 Network operation
 Network provisioning
 Network security

Main Memory Management

Memory is a large array of words or bytes, each with its own address. It is a
repository of quickly accessible data shared by the CPU and I/O devices.
Main memory is a volatile storage device which means it loses its contents in the
case of system failure or as soon as system power goes down.
The main motivation behind Memory Management is to maximize memory utilization on
the computer system.

The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connections with
memory management:

 Keep track of which parts of memory are currently being used and by whom.
 Decide which processes to load when memory space becomes available.
 Allocate and deallocate memory space as needed.

Secondary Storage Management

The main purpose of a computer system is to execute programs. These programs,
together with the data they access, must be in main memory during execution. Since
the main memory is too small to permanently accommodate all data and program,
the computer system must provide secondary storage to backup main memory.
Most modern computer systems use disks as the principle on-line storage medium,
for both programs and data. Most programs, like compilers, assemblers, sort
routines, editors, formatters, and so on, are stored on the disk until loaded into
memory, and then use the disk as both the source and destination of their
processing.
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with
disk management:

 Free space management

 Storage allocation
 Disk scheduling

Security Management
The operating system is primarily responsible for all task and activities happen in the
computer system. The various processes in an operating system must be protected
from each other’s activities. For that purpose, various mechanisms which can be
used to ensure that the files, memory segment, cpu and other resources can be
operated on only by those processes that have gained proper authorization from the
operating system.
Security Management refers to a mechanism for controlling the access of programs,
processes, or users to the resources defined by a computer controls to be imposed,
together with some means of enforcement.

For example, memory addressing hardware ensure that a process can only execute
within its own address space. The timer ensure that no process can gain control of
the CPU without relinquishing it. Finally, no process is allowed to do it’s own I/O, to
protect the integrity of the various peripheral devices.

Command Interpreter System

One of the most important component of an operating system is its command
interpreter. The command interpreter is the primary interface between the user and
the rest of the system.
Command Interpreter System executes a user command by calling one or more
number of underlying system programs or system calls.
Command Interpreter System allows human users to interact with the Operating System
and provides convenient programming environment to the users.

Many commands are given to the operating system by control statements. A

program which reads and interprets control statements is automatically executed.
This program is called the shell and few examples are Windows DOS command
window, Bash of Unix/Linux or C-Shell of Unix/Linux.

Other Important Activities

An Operating System is a complex Software System. Apart from the above
mentioned components and responsibilities, there are many other activities
performed by the Operating System. Few of them are listed below:
 Security − By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents
unauthorized access to programs and data.
 Control over system performance − Recording delays between request for
a service and response from the system.
 Job accounting − Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs
and users.
  Error detecting aids − Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and
other debugging and error detecting aids.
 Coordination between other softwares and users − Coordination and
assignment of compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the
various users of the computer systems.

Types of Operating System

Operating systems are there from the very first computer generation and they keep
evolving with time. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the important types of
operating systems which are most commonly used.

Batch operating system

The users of a batch operating system do not interact with the computer directly.
Each user prepares his job on an off-line device like punch cards and submits it to
the computer operator. To speed up processing, jobs with similar needs are batched
together and run as a group. The programmers leave their programs with the
operator and the operator then sorts the programs with similar requirements into
batches.
The problems with Batch Systems are as follows −

 Lack of interaction between the user and the job.

 CPU is often idle, because the speed of the mechanical I/O devices is slower than the
CPU.
 Difficult to provide the desired priority.

Time-sharing operating systems

Time-sharing is a technique which enables many people, located at various
terminals, to use a particular computer system at the same time. Time-sharing or
multitasking is a logical extension of multiprogramming. Processor's time which is
shared among multiple users simultaneously is termed as time-sharing.
The main difference between Multiprogrammed Batch Systems and Time-Sharing
Systems is that in case of Multiprogrammed batch systems, the objective is to
maximize processor use, whereas in Time-Sharing Systems, the objective is to
minimize response time.
Multiple jobs are executed by the CPU by switching between them, but the switches
occur so frequently. Thus, the user can receive an immediate response. For
example, in a transaction processing, the processor executes each user program in
a short burst or quantum of computation. That is, if n users are present, then each
user can get a time quantum. When the user submits the command, the response
time is in few seconds at most.
The operating system uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to provide each
user with a small portion of a time. Computer systems that were designed primarily
as batch systems have been modified to time-sharing systems.
Advantages of Timesharing operating systems are as follows −

 Provides the advantage of quick response.

 Avoids duplication of software.
 Reduces CPU idle time.
Disadvantages of Time-sharing operating systems are as follows −

 Problem of reliability.
 Question of security and integrity of user programs and data.
 Problem of data communication.

Distributed operating System

Distributed systems use multiple central processors to serve multiple real-time
applications and multiple users. Data processing jobs are distributed among the
processors accordingly.
The processors communicate with one another through various communication lines
(such as high-speed buses or telephone lines). These are referred as loosely
coupled systems or distributed systems. Processors in a distributed system may
vary in size and function. These processors are referred as sites, nodes, computers,
and so on.
The advantages of distributed systems are as follows −

 With resource sharing facility, a user at one site may be able to use the resources
available at another.
 Speedup the exchange of data with one another via electronic mail.
 If one site fails in a distributed system, the remaining sites can potentially continue
operating.
 Better service to the customers.
 Reduction of the load on the host computer.
 Reduction of delays in data processing.

Network operating System

A Network Operating System runs on a server and provides the server the capability
to manage data, users, groups, security, applications, and other networking
functions. The primary purpose of the network operating system is to allow shared
file and printer access among multiple computers in a network, typically a local area
network (LAN), a private network or to other networks.
Examples of network operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server 2003,
Microsoft Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, and BSD.
The advantages of network operating systems are as follows −

 Centralized servers are highly stable.

  Security is server managed.
 Upgrades to new technologies and hardware can be easily integrated into the
system.
 Remote access to servers is possible from different locations and types of systems.
The disadvantages of network operating systems are as follows −

 High cost of buying and running a server.

 Dependency on a central location for most operations.
 Regular maintenance and updates are required.

Real Time operating System

A real-time system is defined as a data processing system in which the time interval
required to process and respond to inputs is so small that it controls the
environment. The time taken by the system to respond to an input and display of
required updated information is termed as the response time. So in this method, the
response time is very less as compared to online processing.
Real-time systems are used when there are rigid time requirements on the operation
of a processor or the flow of data and real-time systems can be used as a control
device in a dedicated application. A real-time operating system must have well-
defined, fixed time constraints, otherwise the system will fail. For example, Scientific
experiments, medical imaging systems, industrial control systems, weapon systems,
robots, air traffic control systems, etc.
There are two types of real-time operating systems.
Hard real-time systems
Hard real-time systems guarantee that critical tasks complete on time. In hard real-
time systems, secondary storage is limited or missing and the data is stored in ROM.
In these systems, virtual memory is almost never found.
Soft real-time systems
Soft real-time systems are less restrictive. A critical real-time task gets priority over
other tasks and retains the priority until it completes. Soft real-time systems have
limited utility than hard real-time systems. For example, multimedia, virtual reality,
Advanced Scientific Projects like undersea exploration and planetary rovers, etc.

Difference between DOS and Linux :

S.No. DOS UNIX

DOS is single tasking operating UNIX are multitasking
1. system. operating systems.
 UNIX are multiuser (with
It is monouser (no concept of more multiple simultaneous
2. than one user) users);

3. It consumes low power. It consumes high power.

It has no native support for IP It come with built-in support

4. networks. for IP networks.

It has 3 proprietary implementations

(MS-DOS, IBM DOS and DR-DOS) There are many proprietary
and one free implementation and free/open source
5. (FreeDOS). implementations.

6. It is not case sensitive. It is case sensitive.

7. It is used in embedded systems. It is mainly used in servers.

8. It uses backslashes. It uses forward slashes.

It usually have virtual

It has no virtual memory nor protected memory and protected
9. memory. memory.

10. It has batch files. It has shell files.

Below is a table of differences between DOS and Windows:

Feature DOS Windows

DOS is command line based Windows is GUI based OS, where

OS, where instructions are instructions are provided with the help
Type given through commands. of images and icons.

There was originally no

concept of Drivers in the
DOS.It was eventually
introduced to provide support Windows makes use of Drivers to make
Drivers for various hardware the work easier.
Feature DOS Windows

DOS doesn’t supports multi-

tasking.DOS Extenders are
Multi- used to provide more feature to
tasking DOS computers. Windows support multitasking.

DOS is more complex and Windows is less complex and is easy to

Complexity difficult to use. use.

Keyboard,mouse,touchscreen or any
Input Commands through keyboard other input device can be used to
System are provided as an input. provide the input to Windows.

Windows support storage size up to 2

Highest storage size that was terabyte(MBR partition) and 64
Storage size made available is 2 GB. zettabyte(GUID partition).

DOS is not popular now and

almost obsolete in
use.FreeDOS is often bundled Windows is more popular and globally
Usage with some cheaper laptops. used desktop operating system.

DOS is free and does not use

licensing,(MS-DOS is
abandonware now and
FreeDOS is developed as an Windows is a paid software and
Price open source alternative) requires license for activation.

Difference Between DOS, Linux & Windows Operating System

the differences between the three different operating systems, DOS,
Windows, and Linux.
DOS: DOS stands for Disk Operating System, which is an operating
system that was popular till 1995 in IBM PCs. It is a single-tasking OS i.e., it
can perform one task at a time. It is based on a command-line
interface where one has to provide instructions to the computer in the
command form. It runs from hard disks, floppy disks, or any other storage
devices and thus provides an environment for the execution of programs. It
occupies less memory. To use more than 64kb of memory, memory
extenders were used, which older Windows used to use more memory. It
was originally released only to OEMs(Original Equipment Manufacturers)
 who added support for their hardware. It was eventually released to the
public.
Windows: Windows is a product of Microsoft. It is an operating system with
various versions, Windows 10 being the latest version. It is a Graphics-
Based user interface. Users give commands through clicking or choosing
icons and images with the help of a mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen to the
computer. Windows was originally a DOS extender running on top of DOS.
The Windows 9x family consisting of Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
98SE, and Windows ME ran on top of MS-DOS and is capable of running
DOS programs directly. Windows NT was released separately and is
portable, and initially, it was written in C and C++ languages where
processor reliability code is separated into DAL and HLL and was designed
to be more secure than DOS and the Windows 9x family. The Windows NT
family includes Windows NT 3.x,4.x, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows
Vista, Windows 7, and so on. Windows is more reliable than DOS and
handles errors with ease due to various tools available for debugging and
error handling.
Linux: Linux is a freely distributed multitasking and multi-user operating
system that behaves like UNIX. It was originally developed by a Finnish
student, LINUS TORVALDS in 1991. It is the best known and most
commonly used open-source operating system. It is a cross-platform
operating system based on UNIX that can be installed on PCs and laptops.

Comparison Between DOS, Windows, And Linux

Feature DOS WINDOWS LINUX

Developed by Developed by Linux is developed by

Development Microsoft. Microsoft. Open Source Development.

License Proprietary Proprietary Open-source

It supports a Text- It supports both Command-

Based/ Command- It supports Graphical line interfaces/Graphical
Interface line interface. User Interface user interfaces.

DOS is unable to
run multiple
processes at the Windows supports Linux supports
Multitasking same time. multitasking multitasking

DOS was Windows was Linux is distributed by

distributed by distributed by various vendors, such as
Distribution Microsoft. Microsoft. Red Hat, Fedora, etc.
 Feature DOS WINDOWS LINUX

Linux can be installed on a

DOS can be Windows can be wide variety of computer
installed on installed on PC hardware, mobile phones,
standalone PC desktops, laptops, and video game consoles to
desktops or servers, and some mainframes and
Usage laptops. mobile phones. supercomputers.

It is possible to
Expansions for change the
DOS can be background and
downloaded so general color schemes One can rewrite the code
that one can and fonts for for Linux so that it can be
Customization customize them. windows desktops. customized further.

DOS is not very

reliable because it
crashes easily if a Windows is not even Linux is very reliable and
program doesn’t reliable, with it is known for being run for
open properly or a crashing/needing to months or even years
wrong command be restarted all the without needing to be
Reliability is issued. time. rebooted.

DOS is not very

Management easy to manage. Easy to manage. Difficult to manage.

DOS is free of
charge to
Cost download. It is not free. Linux is free to download.

DOS is a single- Windows is a multi-

user operating user operating Linux is a multi-user
User- Support system. system. operating system.