fundamentals of operating systems

• what is hardware?

  physical components of a computer system.
• what is software?


  programs that run on hardware
• what is meant by application software?


  refers to all the programs that the user uses in order to complete a particular task
• examples of application software?


  -web browser

  -word processor

  -spreadsheet

  -music/video player
• what is a system software?

  a type of computer program designed to run a computer's hardware.
• what are the types of system software?

  operating systems

  utility programs

  libraries

  translators
• what is meant by utility software?

   on their own will not help the user perform any meaningful task

  used to support application software

  help to maintain the computer system
• what are library programs?

  they are written to carry out common tasks.
• what is an operation system software?

  a large collection of programs that controls the hardware

  acts as an interface between the user and hardware and also between application and hardware
• what is the operating system responsible for?

  managing all connected devices

  managing RAM and virtual memory

  managing security
• functions of operating system?

  memory management

  user interface

  multi tasking

  peripheral management

  security
• what is meant by memory management?


  allows the data to store and collect data into the current location
• what is meant by a user interface?

  gives the user a visual display to navigate
• what is meant by multi-tasking?

  allows the system to run the program more than one time
• what is meant by peripheral management?

  allows additional hardware to be added to the computer.

  installs devicers
• what is meant by the term security?


  prevents unwanted computers accessing systems
• what is meant by system maintenance


  systems information and diagnosis

  systems clean up tools

  automatic updating
• what is meant by resource management?

  allows different programs to work on the computer at the same time.
• what does the operating system do?

  controls how the computer interacts with I/O devices such as allocating print jobs to printers
• what is meant by file management?

  organizing and controlling access to files.