What is Operating System?

1. Have you ever wondered how the communication between a user and a system takes
place?
2. How system hardware can understand the instructions of a user? So, the answer to these
questions is the Operating System. Hardware is nothing but a piece of engineered
machinery, and an interface is needed that fills the communication gap between hardware
and a user. It translates the instructions given by the user in a high-level language to
machine language, which a computer can understand. It acts as an intermediary between a
user and computer hardware and provides an environment required to execute different
programs efficiently.

 An Operating System (OS) is a software that acts as an interface between computer

hardware components and the user. Every computer system must have at least one
operating system to run other programs. Applications like Browsers, MS Office,
Notepad Games, etc., need some environment to run and perform its tasks.
 The OS helps you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak
the computer’s language. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or
mobile device without having an operating system. An Operating System (OS) is the
most important program that is first loaded on a computer when you switch on the
system. Operating System is system software. The communication between a user
and a system takes place with the help of an operating systems.
 Windows, Linux, and Android are examples of operating systems that enable the
user to use programs like MS Office, Notepad, and games on the computer or mobile
phone. It is necessary to have at least one operating system installed in the
computer system in order to run basic programs like browsers.
Types of Operating System (OS)
Following are the popular types of OS (Operating System):

 Batch Operating System

 Multitasking/Time Sharing OS
 Multiprocessing OS
 Real Time OS
 Distributed OS
 Network OS
 Mobile OS
 Batch Operating System
 Some computer processes are very lengthy and time-consuming. To
speed the same process, a job with a similar type of needs are batched
together and run as a group.
 The user of a batch operating system never directly interacts with the
computer. In this type of OS, every user prepares his or her job on an
offline device like a punch card and submit it to the computer operator.
 Multi-Tasking/Time-sharing Operating systems
 Time-sharing operating system enables people located at a different
terminal(shell) to use a single computer system at the same time. The
processor time (CPU) which is shared among multiple users is termed as
time sharing.
 Real time OS
  A real time operating system time interval to process and respond to
inputs is very small. Examples: Military Software Systems, Space Software
Systems are the Real time OS example.
 RTOs are fast and responsive
 Distributed Operating System
 Distributed systems use many processors located in different machines to
provide very fast computation to its users.
 Network Operating System
 Network Operating System runs on a server. It provides the capability to
serve to manage data, user, groups, security, application, and other
networking functions.
 Mobile OS
 Mobile operating systems are those OS which is especially that are
designed to power smartphones, tablets, and wearables devices.
 Some most famous mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, but
others include BlackBerry, Web, and watchOS.


History of Operating Systems

 The first computer, Z1, was made in 1936 – 1938. Unfortunately, this computer ran
without an operating system.
 Twenty years later, the first-ever operating system was made in 1956.
 In the 1960s, bell labs started working on building UNIX, the first multitasking
operating system.
 In 1977 the apple series came into existence. Apple Dos 3.3 was the first disk
operating system.
 In 1981, Microsoft built the first operating system called DOS by purchasing 86 – DOS
software from a Seattle company.
 The most famous Microsoft windows came into existence in 1985 when MS-DOS was
paired with GUI, a graphics environment.
Functions of Operating System
 Processor Management: An operating system manages the processor’s working by
allocating various jobs to it and ensuring that each process receives enough time
from the processor to function properly.
  Memory Management: An operating system manages the allocation and
deallocation of the memory to various processes and ensures that the other process
does not consume the memory allocated to one process.
 Device Management: There are various input and output devices. An operating
system controls the working of these input-output devices. It receives the requests
from these devices, performs a specific task, and communicates back to the
requesting process.
 File Management: An operating system keeps track of information regarding the
creation, deletion, transfer, copy, and storage of files in an organized way. It also
maintains the integrity of the data stored in these files, including the file directory
structure, by protecting against unauthorized access.
 Security: The operating system provides various techniques which assure the
integrity and confidentiality of user data. Following security measures are used to
protect user data:
o Protection against unauthorized access through login.
o Protection against intrusion by keeping Firefall active.
o Protecting the system memory against malicious access.
o Displaying messages related to system vulnerabilities.
 Error Detection: From time to time, the operating system checks the system for any
external threat or malicious software activity. It also checks the hardware for any
type of damage. This process displays several alerts to the user so that the
appropriate action can be taken against any damage caused to the system.
 Job Scheduling: In a multitasking operating system where multiple programs run
simultaneously, the operating system determines which applications should run in
which order and how time should be allocated to each application.
Features of Operating Systems
Here is a list of some important features of operating systems:
1. Provides a platform for running applications
2. Handles memory management and CPU scheduling
3. Provides file system abstraction
4. Provides networking support
5. Provides security features
6. Provides user interface
7. Provides utilities and system services
 8. Supports application development

A utility or software utility is computer system software intended to analyze, configure,

monitor, or help maintain a computer. Usually, a utility is smaller than a
standard program and may be included with an operating system or installed separately.
List of computer utilities
Below are many different utility program categories and examples of utilities. For a list of all
of the different types of computer software, see our software page.
 Antivirus
 Backup software
 Clipboard
 Compression utility
 Cryptography software
 Debuggers
 DirectX
 Disk checkers (e.g., Defrag, Disk Cleanup, and ScanDisk).
 Disk partition editors
 Dr. Watson
 Encryption tools
 File manager
 Hex editor
 Memory tester
 Network monitors
 Package manager
 Registry cleaners
 Screen saver
 System monitor