Operating System Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Operating System?

An operating system (OS) is an essential component of any computer, from smartphones to tablets to PCs. It is the primary software that a computer uses to manage its hardware and software resources. Operating systems control the execution of applications, provide a platform for user interfaces, and enable storage and retrieval of data from disk drives. They also provide access to networks, peripheral devices such as printers or scanners, and other system resources. Operating systems are divided into two main categories: single-user systems and multi-user systems. Single-user operating systems allow only one user at a time to use the computer’s resources. Popular examples of single-user operating systems include Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows 7/8/10, Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or Fedora, Chrome OS, iOS for iPhones/iPads and Android for mobile phones/tablets. These operating systems provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to interact with their computers visually by using mouse clicks or touch gestures on the screen instead of typing commands into a terminal window or command line prompt (CLI). Multi-user operating systems enable multiple users on different computers to share common resources over a network connection such as files stored on shared drives or printers connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cables. Examples include UNIX variants such as Solaris and HP UX; Novell Netware; IBM’s AIX; OpenVMS; Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016; Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL); CentOS; Oracle Solaris; SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES); FreeBSD; Debian GNU/Linux; Apple macOS Server 10.7 or later versions; VMware ESXi servers etc. In addition to these two main categories there are also embedded operating systems designed specifically for machines like robots, cars and medical equipment which are used in industrial automation processes or home automation applications like Nest thermostats etc. A special category of embedded OSes is referred to as real time OS which can process data within tight time constraints usually found in mission critical operations such as nuclear power plants etc. In conclusion , Operating Systems serve an essential role in providing programs with access to hardware capabilities while simplifying their usage through graphical user interfaces. Over the past decades , we have seen significant advancements in both single-user & multi-user Operating Systems while more recently embedded & realtime Operating Systems have become increasingly important .