Operating Systems

An operating system is a system of different programs that work

together at the same time to mantain the operations of the
computer. The main role of the operating system is to control
and manage the hardware, to provide the most efficient use of
memory resources and to acta s an interface between the
computer and the user.
The Components of the OS
The OS consists of the supervisory programs which control all
other programs in it. They also control the activities of the
hardware.
There are also service programs which provide system services
such as: utility programs and system aids. The first permit files to
be saved, copied, renamed and deleted. They activate the
printer, the keyboard and other peripheral devices, they format a
disk for storing information.
The second assist the user in developing a program; infact any
errors in a program can be located and identified by the OS.
“System error” is a typical message telling the user that
something is wrong which must be located by the programmer.
Types of Operating System
Just as there are different types of computer system, there are
also different types of operating system:
- Single program operating system
It will permit one applications program to be run at a time,
for example: household gadgets and compilation bills.
- Multi-user operating system
 It will permit a number of users to use the computer system
at the same time.
- Multi-programming operating system
It gives the appearance of running more than one program
at a time.
- Virtual storage operating system
It will permit data to be moved between primary and
secondary storage as and when the primary storage proves
to be to small to contain too large programs. It gives the
user an impression of a computer with a large memory.
- Virtual machine operating system
It gives the users the impression that each user has the
control over the entire computer and use different operating
systems at the same time. The control of such a system is
under the supervision of a virtual machine operating system.

The UNIX Operating System

Unix operating system consists of three parts: the kernel,
the shell and the programs.
The kernel is the hub of the operating system: it distributes
time and memory to programs.
The shell acts as an interface between the user and the
kernel. When a user logs in, the login program checks the
username and the password and then starts another
program called the shell. It interprets the commands typed
by the user and arranges for them to be carried out.
Everything in Unix is either a file or a process:
A process is an executing program identified by a unique PID
(process identifier);
A file is a collection of data created by users using text
editors, running compilers…

The LINUX operating system

Linux is one of the most important examples of free
software. It is also called as GNU/Linux whose main goal is
to produce and collect most of the necessary components of
this system such as libraries, compilers, text editors, a Unix-
like shell.
It has been mainly used as a server operating system, but its
low cost and flexibility make it good for a wide range of
applications used in embedded system as mobile phones
and handheld devices.