An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. It is the most important software that runs on a computer, and it manages the computers memory and processes, as well as all of its software. The OS acts as an interface between the software and different parts of the computer hardware, and it controls and monitors the execution of all other programs that reside in the computer, including application programs and other system software.
Some common features of an operating system include:
- File management: An OS manages files and directories, including creating, deleting, and renaming files and directories.
- Memory management: An OS manages the computers memory, including allocating and deallocating memory to different programs.
- Process management: An OS manages the processes running on the computer, including starting and stopping processes, scheduling processes, and managing interprocess communication.
- Device management: An OS manages input and output devices, including keyboards, mice, printers, and displays.
- Security: An OS provides security features to protect the computer and its data, including user authentication, access control, and encryption.
Without an operating system, every application would need to include its own user interface, as well as the comprehensive code needed to handle all low-level functionality of the underlying computer, such as disk storage, network interfaces, and so on. This would vastly bloat the size of every application and make software development impractical.
