What is an Operating System?
The 1960’s definition of an operating system is “the software that
controls the hardware”. However, today, due to microcode we need a better
definition. We see an operating system as the programs that make the
hardware useable. In brief, an operating system is the set of programs that
controls a computer. Some examples of operating systems are UNIX, Mach,
MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Windows/NT, Chicago, OS/2, MacOS, VMS, MVS, and VM.
Controlling the computer involves software at several levels. We will
differentiate kernel services, library services, and application-level
services, all of which are part of the operating system. Processes run
Applications, which are linked together with libraries that perform standard
services. The kernel supports the processes by providing a path to the
peripheral devices
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Operating system ABCs
An Operating System, or OS, is a software
program that enables the computer hardware to
communicate and operate with the computer software.
Without a computer Operating System, a computer
would be useless.
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