An operating system (OS) is a software and a resource manager that sits between the hardware and the user.
What Is an Operating System (OS)?
Operating systems are software programs that manage the resources of a computer. It is the software that lets apps communicate with a computer’s hardware.
The program may communicate directly with the hardware. However, most software programs are not developed to communicate with a specific piece of hardware; instead, the operating system does it.
Operating systems were not available on the first computers. Every computer program had to incorporate all of the code needed to run and connect with the hardware, as well as accomplish the program’s real function. As a result, computer programs became difficult to develop and too complicated to operate. Each software could only be executed on the specific computer for which it was designed.
Functions of Operating System
Operating systems conduct a variety of functions in order to fulfill the aims. These aims are as follows:
Memory Management: To run a process, the entire process is loaded into the main memory, which is then performed. After the process is completed, the memory is released and may be utilized for other processes. As a result, it is the operating system’s responsibility to manage memory by allocating and deallocating memory for the process.
I/O Device Management: In a system, there are many different I/O devices. Various processes require access to various resources; however, these devices should not be accessed directly by the process. As a result, it is the operating system’s responsibility to authorize the usage of I/O devices by the processes that require them.
File Management: Each computer has its own set of files, folders, and directory structure. All of these are maintained and handled by the computer’s operating system. A File Allocation Table, or FAT, is used to keep track of all of these files’ information. As a result, the File Allocation Table stores every detail about the file, such as the filename, file size, file type, and so on. It is also the responsibility of the operating system to ensure that the files are not opened by unauthorized users.
Virtual Memory: When the size of the application exceeds the main memory, the operating system is responsible for loading only frequently used pages into the main memory. This is referred to as Virtual Memory.
What Are the Most Popular Operating Systems?
The following is a list of examples of several computer operating systems throughout the history of computing.
Note
GPOS refers to the operating systems listed below (general-purpose operating systems). Examples of RTOS may be found in our RTOS (real-time operating system) description.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is the most popular and widely used operating system on computers today, with Windows 10 being the most current Windows version to be released. PC and IBM-compatible systems run the operating system.
macOS
macOS is Apple’s core operating system, which is used on both desktop and laptop computers.
Linux
Linux is a free and open-source operating system that can be installed on PCs and IBM-compatible systems. Because it is open-source, it is used to generate a variety of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, and Slackware. For a complete list of Linux variations on our site, as well as more information about the operating system, see our Linux page.
Chrome OS/Chromium
Chrome OS is the operating system that comes pre-installed on Google Chromebooks.
Operating Systems for Mobile Devices
A mobile operating system, sometimes known as a portable operating system, is used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Android
Android is a mobile operating system that runs on smartphones and tablets. Because so many smartphones utilize a form of the Android operating system, it is now the most common operating system on the planet.
iOS
The Apple iOS operating system is the software that runs on Apple’s iPhones and iPads.