OS-Lab1

What is an Operating System?
An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in a convenient (suitable) and efficient manner.
Operating system goals:
? Execute user programs and make solving user problems easier. ? Make the computer system convenient to use. ? Use the computer hardware in an efficient manner.
Computer System Components
1. Hardware – provides basic computing resources (CPU, memory, I/O devices).
2. Operating system – controls and coordinates the use of the hardware among the various application programs for the various users.
3. Applications programs – define the ways in which the system resources are used to solve the computing problems of the users (compilers, database systems, video games, business programs).
4. Users (people, machines, other computers).
Abstract View of System Components
A computer system can be divided roughly into four components: the hardware, the operating system, the application programs, and the users.