IntermediateTopic 58 of 104Software & Computing
Operating systems
Manage hardware, processes, memory and files for applications.
In depth
An OS manages hardware and provides abstractions: processes, memory, files, devices, security and networking. Kernel modes separate privileged and user code; system calls request services. Examples: Linux, Windows, macOS, Android. Kernels may be monolithic or microkernel.
Key points
- Kernel vs user mode
- Drivers
- Interrupts
ExampleWhen a program reads a file, the OS handles disk access via system calls.
What is Operating systems?
Manage hardware, processes, memory and files for applications.
Why is it important to understand operating systems?
An operating system manages hardware and shares it among programs, so it is the layer that every application relies on.
What does an operating system do?
It manages processes, memory, files and devices, and it provides system calls that applications use to access these resources safely.
What is a system call?
A request from an application to the operating system for a service such as reading a file or creating a process.
How is Operating systems used in practice?
Typical applications include starting a program and giving it memory and file access, scheduling multiple applications on a single computer and handling a disk read request from an application.
What should I learn before Operating systems?
Study "Computer organisation" first (topic 57 of 104 in Software & Computing). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Operating systems?
Kernel vs user mode. Drivers. Interrupts.
Can you give an example of Operating systems?
When a program reads a file, the OS handles disk access via system calls.
What comes after Operating systems?
The next topic is "Processes and scheduling", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Operating systems?
It is classed as Intermediate in Software & Computing (topic 58 of 104). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Software & Computing first.