Chapter 7 System Software

Question 1

What is an operating system?

Answer 1

A software platform that provides facilities for programs to be run which are of benefit to a user

Question 2

What is an application software?

Answer 2

A software that performs a specific task for a computer user.

Question 3

What does a User-Interface provide for user input and output?

Answer 3

A command line interface - Where you enter your input
A graphical user interface (GUI) - is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators

Question 4

What does a Program-Hardware Interface do?

Answer 4

It helps programmers to program easier by handling how the hardware works to run the program

Question 5

What does the resource management do?

Answer 5

It aims to achieve optimum efficiency in computer system use

Question 6

How does the resource management achieve optimum efficiency in a computer system?

Answer 6

By scheduling processes and by handling processes that require the same resources.

Question 7

What are the three important aspects of memory management?

Answer 7

Memory protection - ensures that one program does not try to use the same memory locations as another program
The memory organization scheme - is chosen top achieve optimum usage of a limited memory size, for example, virtual memory involving paging or segmentation
Memory usage optimization - involves decisions about which processes should be in main memory at any one time and where they are stored in this memory

Question 8

What does device management require to manage the devices connected to a computer?

Answer 8

Installation of the appropriate device driver software

Control of usage by process

Question 9

What are the three major features of File Management?

Answer 9

File naming conventions
Directory (folder) structures
Access control mechanisms

Question 10

What does Security management handle?

Answer 10

Provision when data is lost
Ensuring data privacy
Prevention of intrusion

Question 11

What does Error Detection and Recovery handle?

Answer 11

Interrupt a running process
Provide error diagnostics
In extreme cases it shuts down the entire system so that no data gets lost

Question 12

Are utility programs part of the normal routine of operating system utilization?

Answer 12

No

Question 13

What is a utility program?

Answer 13

It’s a program that the user might decide to run or in certain circumstance the computer

Question 14

Which are the type of utility programs?

Answer 14

Hard disk formater and checker
Hard disk defragmenter 
Backup software 
File compression
Virus checker

Question 15

What does a Hard disk defragmenter do?

Answer 15

It checks and arranges the positioning of files

Question 16

What does a library program contain and why?

Answer 16

It contains subroutines to aid programmers in sparing time by already having the subroutines they need to enter.

Question 17

What do assemblers do?

Answer 17

Translate assembly language into machine code.

Question 18

What is the first step that the assembler does?

Answer 18

Removes comments
Creates a symbol table containing the binary codes for symbolic names and labels
Creates a literal table if the programmer has used constants in the program
Expands macros
Identifies system calls and subroutines used

Question 19

What is the second step that the assembler does?

Answer 19

The translated code is carried to its location by a link loader that carries out any final adjustment of memory addresses that might be useful

Question 20

What is the first step that both compilers and assemblers take?

Answer 20

To get the source code that is written in high level language.

Question 21

What are the steps taken by the interpreter?

Answer 21

1. The code in the source code is made available for adjusting as well as the data used by the source code
2. The interpreter program begins execution
3. The first line of the source code is read
4. The line is analyzed
5. If an error is found this is reported and the interpreter program halts execution
6. If no error is found the code is converted into an intermediate code
7. The interpreter program uses this intermediate code to execute the required action.
8. The next line of source code is read and Steps 4-8 are repeated

Question 22

What are the steps taken by the Compiler if no errors are found?

Answer 22

1. The code in the source code is made available for adjusting (but the data used by the source code are not needed)
2. The compiler program begins execution
3. The first line of the source code is read
4. The line is analyzed
5. If no error is found the code is converted into an intermediate code
6. Intermediate code is converted into object code

Question 23

What are the steps taken by the Compiler if errors are found?

Answer 23

1. The code in the source code is made available for adjusting (but the data used by the source code are not needed)
2. The compiler program begins execution
3. The first line of the source code is read
4. The line is analyzed
5. If an error is found this is recorded
   (6. ) A list of the errors is output and no object code is produced

Question 24

Which are the two methods used to fix the error?

Answer 24

It can be fixed by the compiler program if data for the program is available or the object code is stored and the program is executed later with no involvement of the compiler.