1.5 Operating systems

Question 1

Types of systems software

Answer 1

Operating systems
Utility software

Question 2

examples of operating systems

Answer 2

Windows
IOS
Mac os
Android
Linux
Raspbian

Question 3

What is systems software

Answer 3

System software is software which allows a computer to run and to be maintained.

Question 4

Functions/features/purposes/functionality of an OS

Answer 4

The OS:

communicates with hardware via device drivers

Provides a user interface

Provides a platform on which users can run programs

Allows a computer to multitask by controlling memory

Deals with file and disk management

Manages the security of the system

_______________________________________
Provide a User interface
Memory management
Multitasking
Peripheral management
Drivers
User management
File management

Question 5

Function of operating system

Answer 5

Provides a platform on which users can run programs

Question 6

What is meant by a user interface

Answer 6

A computer design that allows the user to interact with the computer.

Question 7

Function of utility software

Answer 7

Used to maintain the computer system

Question 8

Types of user interfaces

Answer 8

Graphical User interface (GUI)
Command Line Interface
Menu Driven Interface
Natural language interface

Question 9

State features of GUI

Answer 9

It has Windows, icons, menus, pointers (WIMP)

Visual

Interactive

Intuitive

Optimised for mouse and touch gesture input

(often known as WIMP interface)

Question 10

What is meant by a Graphic User Interface

Answer 10

A user interface that uses graphics/images and words to represent the interaction between the end user and a computer.

Icons are used to represent actions and resources.

Question 11

Features of Command Line Interface

Answer 11

Text based

Less resource heavy compared to GUI

More commands than a GUI

Efficient

For advanced users

Useful for automating processes with scripts

Question 12

How is a Command Line Interface used

Answer 12

User provides a text input or command using the computer keyboard and the computer outputs text on the monitor.

Question 13

What is meant by a CLI

Answer 13

An interface which allows the user to interact with a computer only by typing in commands from a set list

Question 14

Features of Menu Driven Interface

Answer 14

Successive menus presented to the users

Single options chosen at each stage

Often with buttons on a keypad (Users interact with these devices with buttons on a keypad)

Question 15

Identify two benefits of using a Command Line Interface instead of a GUI

Answer 15

Command line interfaces give greater control to Users than GUIs
They are less resource-heavy than GUIs

Question 16

Where are Menu Driven Interfaces likely to be found at/on

Answer 16

Likely to be found at cashpoints and on chip-and-pin devices

Question 17

Features of Natural Language Interface

Answer 17

Responds to questions in spoken language

Not always reliable

Getting better all the time.

Question 18

How does the natural language interface work

Answer 18

A user can speak in their natural language into a computer system, so it responds to question said in spoken English

Question 19

What is multitasking

Answer 19

Running multiple applications at the same time by giving each application a small time-slice of processor time.

Question 20

State the advantages of multitasking

Answer 20

Multitasking allows more than one program to be held in memory at a time, and data to be shared between them such as copy and paste

It also enabled you to listen to music on your PC at the same time as word processing.

Question 21

Explain why, when the Operating System is multitasking, it appears as if multiple programs are executing simultaneously

Answer 21

Multitasking is running multiple applications at the same time by giving each application a small time-slice of processor time.

As this happens so quickly it appears as if multiple programs are executing simultaneously

Question 22

Explain how multitasking works

Answer 22

Multitasking is running multiple applications at the same time by giving each application a small time-slice of processor time.

Each program has a small time slice, (one program is allocated a time slice, once this is over, it is passed to the next program which has a small time slice, this process repeats.)

Question 23

What is memory management

Answer 23

Management/organization of memory at the system level.

Question 24

What is memory management used for

Answer 24

It is used to allocate free memory to programs that need it, and free up memory where it is not needed. - for computers to work efficiently

It is used to keep track of different program fragments

When programs are loaded, the operating system decides where they are held in memory

Question 25

How can a hard disk become fragmented

Answer 25

Files have been loaded from the hard drive into main memory (RAM) When the user closes a program, it is removed from memory and the memory is freed up Another program is loaded into RAM. This program may be bigger than the spaces left by the deleted files. Therefore the program is split up

Question 26

A restaurant has a computer-based ordering system which is running slowly. A technician has said that the hard disc drive is fragmented. The technician has suggested using utility software to defragment the drive. (a) Explain how the restaurant’s hard disc could have become fragmented.

Answer 26

* Orders have been saved onto the system as they order food and then deleted once processed (1) * Once other orders have been made, new files are created (1) which may be bigger than the spaces left by the deleted files (1) * The order files are split up (1)

Question 27

What is peripheral management

Answer 27

Allows a computer’s external devices to communicate with the computer system.

Question 28

Explain how peripheral management works

Answer 28

Peripheral management allows a computer’s external devices to communicate with the computer system. It controls external devices by sending them commands.

Question 29

Function of device drivers

Answer 29

Translates operating system instructions into commands that the hardware will understand

Question 30

In terms of device drivers, what does each peripheral need

Answer 30

Each peripheral needs a device driver (each peripheral needs its own device driver)

Question 31

Explain how device drivers work for printers

Answer 31

In the example of printers, a device driver translates the operating system instructions to print the document into a series of instructions which a specific piece of hardware will understand

Question 32

Explain why we need to use device drivers

Answer 32

Computers have to be able to output to a wide range of devices. Files should look the same no matter what model of a specific output device a user sends it to (for example a document printed from a word processor should look the same no matter what make or model of printer the user sends it to) The technology behind each model of specific type of hardware is very different To overcome this in consistency, we use device drivers.

Question 33

Function of user management

Answer 33

Providing for different users to log into a computer

Question 34

Explain how user management works

Answer 34

User management provides for different users to log into a computer The operating system will retains settings for each user, such as icons, desktop backgrounds etc. Each user may have different access rights to files and programs A client server network may impose a fixed or roaming profile for a user, and manage login requests to the network.

Question 35

In a network, what is meant by user management

Answer 35

The administrative feature of a computer system to allocate an account or control user access into a network.

Question 36

Explain what is meant by file management

Answer 36

* A system that is used by the operating system to organise and keep track of files. * A software that manages data files.

Question 37

Features of file management

Answer 37

Features include naming, allocating folders, Moving Files, Saving files. _____________ Data is stored in files An extension (e.g., .pptx, .docx) to the filename tells the operating system which application to load the file into. The operating system may present a logical structure of files into folders, and allow the user to rename, delete, copy and move files.

Question 38

Explain how the operating system manages memory and CPU time to allow the computer to multitask

Answer 38

When programs are opened, the OS moves the necessary parts to memory. The OS will remove unneeded data from memory e.g. when programs or files are closed. The OS divides memory into segments. When different programs are used, their data is placed into different segments so that running applications can not write over or interfere with each other. The OS organises the movement of data to and from virtual memory The OS divides CPU time between running programs, as it can only process one at time The OS can prioritise CPU time for different programs in order for them to be processed in the most efficient order