An operating system or Operating System (OS) is an entity that mediates between hardware, software and the user. It allows you to communicate with your computer or smartphone without having to speak machine language. In this article, you can read about what tasks an operating system such as Windows, iOS or Android does for your device.
What is an operating system?
An operating system is a collection of computer programs, in the general sense software that enables you, the user, to run other applications on the computer or smartphone. This includes the management of software hardware resources, including input devices such as mouse and keyboard, output devices such as monitors and printers, network devices such as routers, and storage devices such as drives. The operating system forms the interface between your hardware components and the application software used.
In many ways, the operating system acts as a comprehensive framework with which all applications can interact in a consistent manner. Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface. Some examples of this type of system are:
- Microsoft Windows
- Apple macOS
- Linux (better said GNU / Linux)
- Android
- iOS
The operating system mediates between hardware and software. Hidden in the background, the tasks are distributed to the system-internal hardware and signal the software to execute them. For example, if you were to start a new computer without an operating system, you would not be able to use it, as communication between the components is not guaranteed.
What tasks does an operating system do?
Be it Windows 10, Apple's macOS or one of the many Linux distributions: The systems take on the same tasks for your computer. These include in particular:
- Processor management : The operating system decides the order in which the processes have access to the CPU and how much processing time is allocated to each process.
- Management of the main memory : The operating system also manages the main memory. Here, too, it is defined how much memory is allocated to each process. Example: You start an application on Windows or Linux - the OS now allocates as much memory to the process as is required. If the program is closed, this memory is emptied again by the system.
- File management : The operating system manages the read and write operations in the file system. Furthermore, the access rights such as writing, reading and executing for the users are managed through it.
- Security: The operating system uses passwords to protect user data. It also prevents unauthorized access to programs and user data by ensuring that programs can only be opened by users with the appropriate rights.
- Coordination between additional software and users: Operating systems also coordinate additional software such as interpreters, compilers, and the like. Here the system mediates again between user and hardware.