Operating systems Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is the definition of an Operating System?
Software that manages computer hardware and software resources. Key functions include control, communication, error detection, and resource management.
What is the main purpose of an Operating System?
To provide the interface between the user and the hardware. It allows the user to interact with hardware through application software.
What is a User Interface?
A catch-all term for the way in which you interact with the computer as a human being.
What is a Graphical User Interface (GUI)?
A common way of interacting with a computer using windows, icons, menus, and a pointer (WIMP). It is a very visual and interactive interface, intuitive to use, and optimized for mouse and touch gesture input.
What is Multitasking?
Where more than one program is open and running at the same time, although technically the processor allocates a small amount of time to each process in quick rotation, giving the impression of simultaneous execution.
What is Memory Management?
A very important part of the operating system responsible for loading programs into memory so they can be executed and managing the data that those programs acquire. It involves allocating and freeing up memory for programs, including concepts like virtual memory, page tables, and swapping.
What is File Store Management?
The operating system’s responsibility to manage the file store, making decisions about where files are going to be stored and where they’re going to be loaded from. It involves how data is stored, organized, and retrieved, including file hierarchy, access control, and file operations.
What are Device Drivers?
Software needed by the operating system to translate operating system instructions into something that the peripheral hardware is actually going to understand because different hardware operates in specific ways.
What are Interrupts?
Occur when any device requires the attention of the processor, ranging from dramatic events like a power failure to trivial ones like a user pressing a key.
What is a Multi-user Operating System?
An operating system that allows more than one person to use a computer at the same time. The computer manages the users’ various permissions and access rights when they log on.
What is a Distributed Operating System?
A type of operating system where you can combine the processing power of multiple computers across a network for a single task, controlled and coordinated by the operating system to appear as a single system to the user.
What is an Embedded Operating System?
Operating systems that tend to run on very dedicated hardware found in a wide range of devices beyond typical computers, such as washing machines, car engine management systems, and traffic lights. They are often designed for maximum efficiency, using low-powered processors and little memory, and are highly specialized for a particular task.
What is a Real-time Operating System?
Operating systems used in safety-critical environments where processes have to be guaranteed to execute within a known time frame, such as aircraft autopilot systems and self-driving cars. These systems often have built-in redundancy.
What is the Kernel of an Operating System?
The core of the OS that interacts directly with hardware.
What is the Shell of an Operating System?
The user interface that allows users to interact with the OS.
What is Process Management in an Operating System?
How the OS handles tasks (processes) on the CPU, including scheduling, creation, termination, and synchronization of processes.
What is File System Management in an Operating System?
How data is stored, organized, and retrieved, including file hierarchy, access control, and file operations.
What is Device Management in an Operating System?
The process of managing hardware devices, involving device drivers, I/O operations, and error handling.
What is Resource Allocation in the context of Operating Systems?
Ensuring the fair distribution of resources by the operating system.
What is Abstraction in the context of Operating Systems?
The operating system’s role in hiding hardware complexity for user programs.
What is the role of an Operating System in Security?
The operating system controls access to system resources.
