Part 1: The Operating System
It is a software program that manages the computer’s hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.
Roles and Key Functions
- Resource Manager: It manages all the resource of the computer (CPU, memory, storage, I/O, network)
- Process Management: Creating, scheduling, and terminating processes.
- Memory Management: Allocating and managing memory for processes
- File System Management: Organizing and managing files and directories.
- Device Management: Providing drivers and interfaces for I/O devices
- Security: Protecting the system form unauthorized access.
- User Interface: Provides a way for users to interact with the computer.
The Kernel
It is the core of an operating system. It is the first program loaded when the computer starts up and remains in memory throughout the computer’s operation.
It runs on privileged mode (or kernel mode), which gives it direct access to all hardware devices, and perform privileged operations that user-level programs cannot perform.