What is an operating system and its types?
Hello my dear readers and visitors , In today's blog, we will learn about what is an operating system and its types. So let's start -
What is an operating system and its types?
- The operating system interacts between the users and machine. Without operating system computer can not start. Operating system is a system software. We need install it as. It has all the necessary system file to boot up the computer.
- All of us operating systems are also called OS in common word.
- An operating system (OS) is a software that manages computer hardware and software resources and providing common services for computer programs.
- Application programs usually require an operating system to function. Today, almost every computer is using Graphical User Interface (GUI) operating system which is much easier to user and operate.
- The OS can be found on almost any device that contains a computer-- from cellular phones and video game consoles to super computers and web servers.
- Examples of most important and popular modern OS is Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android, BDS, iOS, OS X QNX, Windows Phone etc.
Functions of an Operating system:-
There are following basic functions of an operating system -
- Operating system manages the sharing of internal memory among multiple application.
- It handles input and output to and from attached hardware devices, such that hard disks, printers, etc.
- It also provides a stable, consistent way for applications to deal with the hardware without having to known all the details of the hardware.
- On computers that can provides parallel processing, an OS can manage how to divide the program co that it runs on more than one processor at a time.
- It also sends messages to each application or interactive user about the status of operating and any errors that may have occurred.
Types of Operating System:-
There are following types of an operating system:-
1. Multitasking or Single- user
It allows more than one program to run concurrently. The operating system is able to keep track of what the user is doing and is able to navigate from one application to another without losing information. In today's era all types of operating systems are multitasking. such that Microsoft Windows 2000/10, IBM's OS/390, and Linux are examples of operating systems that can do multitasking
However, in 1961, the LEO III emerged, which was a British computer machine that had enabled the use of multitasking in operating systems.
2. Multi-user
It allows two or more users to run programs at the same time. Some operating system permit hundreds or even thousand of concurrently. The main goal of developing a multi-user operating system is to use it for time-sharing and batch processing on mainframe systems.
Some examples of a multi-user OS are Unix, Ubuntu, MacOS, Windows and all Linux based OS. etc.
3. Multiprocessing
Multiprocessor Operating System refers to the use of two or more central processing units (CPU) within a single computer system and share full access to a common RAM. The main objective of using a multiprocessor is to boost the system’s execution speed, with other objectives being fault tolerance and application matching.
Example of this operating system are Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Unix etc.
4.Multi- Threading
It allows different part of a single program to run concurrently. A thread is the basic unit of the process code and is called a lightweight process within a process that cannot exist outside a process. It has its own program counter.
Example of this operating system are Playing a video and downloading it at the same time is an example of multithreading.
5.Real Time
A real-time operating system (RTOS) is a special-purpose operating system used in computers that has strict time constraints for any job to be performed. It is employed mostly in those systems in which the results of the computations are used to influence a process while it is executing.
Responds to input instantly. General-purpose operating system, such as DOS and UNIX are not real-time. but the real-time operating systems is Airline traffic control systems, Command Control Systems, Airlines reservation system, Heart Peacemaker, Network Multimedia Systems, Robot etc.
6. Batch OS
7. Distributed OS
8.Mobile OS (Android) etc.
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