SchedulingĪn operating system kernel consists of a scheduler program that manages the time taken by each program for its execution. An operating system can use the same memory locations for multiple tasks, using the underlying concept of virtual memory and swapping or paging. The operating system kernel controls the amount of memory allocated to application programs.
Modern operating systems implement segmentation and paging mechanisms facilitating memory protection, whereby all computer programs can obtain a fair share of memory for their execution. This strategy was used by operating systems of the olden times. In a cooperative memory management strategy, it is assumed that programs make voluntary use of the computer memory. The operating system kernel handles the allocation and management of memory that programs use.
Their latest operating system Windows Vista implements a graphics subsystem. Beginning from Windows 95, Microsoft Windows has kept revising its user interfaces. Though a graphical user interface cannot be referred to as an operating system service, many operating systems integrate support for user interfaces into their kernels. Users interact with operating systems by means of command line interfaces or graphical user interfaces.
The operating system kernel creates a process by loading program code from the disk and allocating memory to it before running the program.
The execution of a program requires the operating system to create processes. Programs in execution are known as processes. An operating system has the ability to place a computer in the protected mode, wherein programs are given a limited access to computer resources. When a computer is started, it runs in the supervisor mode, which means that the first few programs running on the computer and the operating system have unlimited access to the hardware. Desktop computers, PDAs, laptop computers, notebook computers and even most mobile phones of today, come with an operating system.īefore exploring the operating system fundamentals, you may find it interesting to read about the different types of operating systems. In short, an operating system acts as an interface between the application programs and the computer hardware. Users and application programs access the operating system services through system calls and application programming interfaces. It hosts computer applications and handles the operations of computer hardware.
What is an operating system? What are the basic functions of an OS? Know about this and more in this Techspirited article on the fundamentals of operating systems.Īn operating system is a software component of a computer, and is responsible for the management of a variety of computer operations as also the sharing of computer resources.