SYLLABUS
- functions of an operating system 11 ATAR, 12 GEN
VOCABULARY
- operating system = 'hidden' software that interacts between the hardware and the application software, helps a user use the computer
- OS = Operating System
DETAILS
1. To provide a user interface
- to allow user to input data and how information is displayed on the screen
- Graphical User Interface (GUI) has menus and visual images
- GUI has links and buttons
- Command Line Interface (CLI) the keyboard is used to enter data
- CLI users use normal keys on the keyboard but also function keys
- CLI requires exact spellings (no spell check)
- CLI input = set of command language
2. To manage system resources
- the operating system manages resources by controlling what can start up and what should stop
- the secret to doing this is Random Access Memory (RAM)
- when the OS starts a process, it is allocated RAM
- when another process is started it is allocated RAM
- when the computer system runs out of RAM, the processes run slower, or the computer can 'crash'
- the OS uses virtual memory on the main disk drive (to make up bigger memory allocations)
- this virtual memory swapping is called page swap
- in this setup, part of a program may be in RAM and also part on the disk drive as a page swap
- to coordinate different tasks such as printing several documents from different users, an OS places these in a buffer for printing one after the other
- a buffer is a place in memory
3. To manage security and access rights
- an operating system can allow access to, or deny access to, a computer
- an operating system allocates rights to particular users based on administrator requirements
- it can give access to all, or some, network resources such as hardware, software, data and information
4. To run applications
- an operating system provides users the opportunity to start applications
- when an application is started it is placed into RAM
- microsoft word, adobe photoshop are examples of applications
- when a user shuts down an application, it is the operating system that removes it from RAM, to free up RAM ready for another application
FOR YOU TO DO
- Complete the attached worksheet using the DETAILS above.
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