Operating System

What is an Operating System

Operating system is a system software that is used to manage, control and communicate the software and hardware part of a computer system. An operating system is a program that operates the whole computer system.

History of Operating System

The first operating system was created since 1956 to run a single IBM central computer. In the 1960s, IBM was the first computer manufacturer to take on the task of developing operating systems and began distributing operating systems included in its computers.

Types of operating system

• Operating System
• Time-Sharing Operating Systems
• Distributed Operating System
• Network Operating System
• Real-Time Operating System

Examples of operating systems

• Windows: Windows was developed by Microsoft, offers a graphical user interface and a simple multitasking scheme
• MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System): This is the most widely used operating system on IBM PC compatible computers; It is designed for 16-bit computers
• UNIX: Developed by Bell Laboratories in the earlier 1970s, can be used on everything from the smallest microcomputer to supercomputers and can be used in multi-user systems
• Macintosh: This has a graphical user interface, it's the operating system for Apple's Macintosh line of computers
• macOS: Invented by Apple
• Android: Invented by Google
• iOS: Invented by Apple
• Linux

Uses of the operating system

• Manage computer hardware
• Manage computer software
• Manage the computer's resources, such as the memory, central processing unit, printers, scanners, and disk drives
• Error handling and detection
• Task execution

Characteristics of operating system

• Security
• Reliability
• File Management
• Security
• Processor management
• Memory Management
• Device Management
• Error detecting aids
• Control over system performance