Introduction of Operating System

Last Updated :

The Operating system (OS) acts as a host for application programs that are run on the machine.

Operating system (OS) is a software which acts as an interface between the end user and computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one OS to run other programs. In simple terms, an operating system is the interface between the user and the machine.

Examples of Operating Systems are : Windows, Android, iOS, Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Operating systems were first developed in the late 1950s to manage tape storage. The first version of the Unix OS was developed in the late 1960s.

Important features of an Operating Systems are: Program Execution, Resource allocation, Memory management, Security etc.

Goal of Operating Systems are :

  • Convenience –
    An OS makes a computer more convenient to use.
  • Efficiency –
    Resources to be used in an efficient manner.
  • Ability to Evolve –
    An OS should be constructed in such a way as to permit the effective development, testing.



Please write comments if you find anything incorrect. A gentle request to share this topic on your social media profile.

Comment
Next Article
CPP_Programmer Published 08 Sep, 2020 · 1 min read

Similar Reads

  • Software concepts of Computer

    Before starting the software concepts, let us take a brief look into the components of computer. Components of Computer: A computer system has 3 components namely: Hardware, Software,…

    3 min read
  • Difference between Full Virtualization and Para-virtualization

    Process of abstracting underlying hardware components from software is the primary concept behind virtualization. 1. Full Virtualization In full virtualization, a single host operating system allows the execution…

    2 min read
  • Storage Structure memory

    Storage structure consists of registers, main memory, and magnetic disk is only one of many possible storage systems. There are also cache CD ROM, magnetic takes, and so…

    3 min read
  • What is Software and its Types ?

    Software is nothing but a program or collection of programs that perform a specific task. Software is a bridge between user and computer hardware. Softwares directs the peripheral…

    1 min read
  • Searching in parent and printing result in child processes using fork()

    In C/C++, the fork() function is used to generate a new process known as the child process. We can do searching within a fork() process. Problem statement –…

    3 min read
  • Multilevel Paging in Operating System

    A page table is a data structure used by virtual memory system in a computer operating system to store the mapping between the virtual addresses and physical addresses.…

    4 min read