Software Application (SWA) Skill Area 208: Use Personal Computer And Operating System

Software Application (SWA) Skill Area 208: Use Personal Computer And Operating System

208.2 Types of OS and its Features (5hrs) 208.2.1 Types of Operating System

What is an Operating System? An operating system (OS) is a set of programs that manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for application software.

What is an Operating System? The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self-booting.

Operating systems Operating systems thus contribute to the simplification of the human interaction with the computer hardware. They are responsible for linking application programs with the hardware, thus achieving an easy user access to the computers.

Use different Operating System and its features Operating systems that create a link between users and the applications form the core of computer systems. It dissociates the programs and the hardware and simplifies resource management. Let us look at the different types of operating systems.

Use different Operating System and its features (cont) An operating system is a software component of a computer system that is responsible for the management of various activities of the computer and the sharing of computer resources.

Real-time Operating System It is a multitasking operating system that aims at executing real-time applications. Real-time operating systems often use specialized scheduling algorithms so that they can achieve a deterministic nature of behavior.

Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems The operating systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Timesharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a computer through the sharing of time.

Multi-tasking and Singletasking Operating Systems When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is grouped under a single-tasking system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multitasking can be of two types namely, preemptive or co-operative.

Distributed Operating System Operating system that manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a distributed operating system. The development of networked computers that could be linked and communicate with each other, gave rise to distributed computing.

Embedded System The operating systems designed for being used in embedded computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with a limited number of resources.

208.2 Types of OS and its Features (5hrs) 208.2.2 Several types Operating System

Examples of OS Mac OS X Linux and GNU AmigaOS Microsoft Windows

Mac OS X Mac OS X is a line of partially proprietary graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers. Mac OS X is the successor to the original Mac OS, which had been Apple's primary operating system since 1984.

The standard user interface of Mac OS X

Linux and GNU Linux (or GNU/Linux) is a Unix-like operating system that was developed without any actual Unix code, unlike BSD and its variants. Linux can be used on a wide range of devices from supercomputers to wristwatches. The Linux kernel is released under an open source license, so anyone can read and modify its code.

Linux and GNU Ubuntu, a common GNOME desktop Linux distribution

Linux and GNU Kubuntu, a common KDE desktop Linux distribution

AmigaOS AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000. Early versions (1.0-3.9) run on the Motorola 68k series of 16-bit and 32-bit microprocessors, while the newer AmigaOS 4 runs only on PowerPC microprocessors.

AmigaOS

Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a family of proprietary operating systems designed by Microsoft Corporation and primarily targeted to Intel architecture based computers, with an estimated 88.9 percent total usage share on Web connected computers.

Microsoft Windows

208.2 Types of OS and its Features (5hrs) 208.2.3 Basic Function of an Operating System

Command Prompt The Command Prompt program allows you to work in an environment that looks more like a traditional operating system as opposed to the icon based Windows environment. In Command Prompt, you will use your keyboard. You won't use your mouse at all. Command Prompt works at a lower level than Windows.

Command Prompt To launch Command Prompt select Start -> Run and type cmd in the box. The Command Prompt shows up as a black terminal window. The command prompt should look something like: C:\>

How to make a folder using the Command Prompt To start the command prompt in Windows left click Start then Run. Type in "CMD" (without the "") and hit Enter. On the command prompt type: Code: mkdir foldername and then hit Enter.

How to make a folder using the Command Prompt You can then use: Code: dir and then hit Enter to make sure your folder has been created.

How to delete a folder using the Command Prompt To start the command prompt in Windows left click Start then Run. Type in "CMD" (without the "") and hit Enter. First locate the folder that you would like to delete. Then on the command prompt type: Code: rmdir foldername and then hit Enter.

How to delete a folder using the You can then use: Code: dir Command Prompt and then hit Enter to make sure your folder has been deleted.

How to delete a file using the Command Prompt To start the command prompt in Windows left click Start then Run. Type in "CMD" (without the "") and hit Enter. First locate the file that you would like to delete. Then on the command prompt type: Code: del filename.txt and then hit Enter.

How to delete a file using the You can then use: Code: dir Command Prompt and then hit Enter to make sure your file has been deleted.

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