What does the state of wasps mean? Where operating systems end and programs begin

Today, a huge part of the world's population interacts with computers on an ongoing basis, someone is required to work, someone is looking for information on the Web, and someone just spends time in games. Everyone has their own needs, which means that the computer must meet them. And if we are talking about "hardware" (the technical component of a computer), then everything is more or less clear: the newer the better. But the "software" (software) part requires special attention.

Each computer runs a specific operating system, of which there are a great many, each of which is suitable for certain tasks, available equipment, and so on. Therefore, the choice of this operating system is an important factor.

There is a fairly massive list of operating systems, but this article will focus on three pillars that have strongly influenced the industry and occupy the bulk of all operating systems: Windows, MacOS and Linux.

Proprietary operating systems

To begin with, it is worth clarifying that there are proprietary operating systems, those that are distributed under the manufacturer's license. These include Windows, which are listed below, and MacOS. Although both systems can be downloaded on the Web (stolen), it is correct to purchase a license from a distribution company and activate it.

The advantage of such systems is their development, a huge amount of high-quality software and competent technical support that will help in case of problems.

"Free" operating systems

This includes almost the entire Linux family, with the exception of some developments with accounting or other professional software. These OS can be downloaded absolutely free and installed on any computer without a twinge of conscience.

Such systems are created by independent developers in conjunction with the community, therefore, in most cases, the quality of programs leaves much to be desired, but such systems are much more secure and work more stable than their proprietary competitors.

Windows

Absolutely everyone who has ever dealt with a computer knows about this Microsoft product. In particular, this concerns the super-successful release of Windows 7. The list of Microsoft operating systems is already a dozen generations old. They are extremely popular all over the world and occupy almost 90% of the market. Which speaks of unprecedented leadership.

• Windows XP;
• Windows Vista;
• Windows 7;
• Windows 8;
• Windows 10;

The list deliberately starts with Windows XP, as it is the oldest version still in use today.

Chrome OS

An underdeveloped product from Google, which is limited only to web applications and the browser of the same name. This system is not competitive with Windows and Mac, but is made with an eye to the future, when web interfaces can replace "real" software. Installed by default on all Chromebooks.

Installing multiple systems and using virtual machines

Since each platform has its own pros and cons, it is often necessary to work with several at once. Computer designers are aware of this, so they offer users the ability to install two or three systems on a disk at once.

This is done simply. All you need is the system distribution kit (disk or flash drive with the installation material loaded on them) and free space on the hard disk. All modern operating systems offer to allocate space during installation and create a boot mechanism that will show a list of operating systems when the computer boots. Everything is done in a semi-automatic mode and can be done by any user.

Apple computers have a special utility - BootCamp, which is designed to easily and seamlessly install Windows alongside macOS.

There is another way - installing a virtual system inside a real one. For this, programs are used: VmWare and VirtualBox, capable of emulating the work of a full-fledged computer and running operating systems.

Instead of a conclusion

The list of operating systems for the computer is not limited to the above. There are many products from different companies, but they are all quite specific and do not deserve the attention of an ordinary user. The choice should be made between Windows, macOS and Linux, as they can cover most of the needs and are quite easy to learn.

What is an operating system

Operating system is a complex of interconnected system programs, the purpose of which is to organize the interaction of the user with the computer and the execution of all other programs.

The operating system acts as a link between the computer hardware, on the one hand, and the programs being executed, as well as the user, on the other.

The operating system is usually stored in the external memory of a computer - on disk... When the computer is turned on, it is read from disk memory and placed in RAM.

This process is usually called loading the operating system.

The functions of the operating system include:

• dialogue with the user;
• I / O and data management;
• planning and organization of the program processing process;
• distribution of resources (RAM and cache, processor, external devices);
• launching programs for execution;
• all kinds of auxiliary maintenance operations;
• transfer of information between various internal devices;
• software support for the operation of peripheral devices (display, keyboard, disk drives, printer, etc.).

The operating system can be called a software continuation of the computer control device. The operating system hides from the user complex unnecessary details of interaction with the hardware, forming a layer between them. As a result, people are freed from the very time-consuming work of organizing interaction with computer hardware.

Taking into account the dependence on the number of simultaneously processed tasks and the number of users that the OS can serve, there are four basic classes of operating systems:

1. single user single task that support one keyboard and can work with only one (at the moment) task;

2. single user single jobs with background printing, which allow, in addition to the main task, to launch one additional task, usually focused on printing information. This speeds up work when issuing large amounts of information for printing;

3. single user multitasking that allow one user to process multiple tasks in parallel. For example, several printers can be connected to one computer, each of which will work for "its own" task;

4. multiplayer multitasking that allow multiple users to run multiple tasks on one computer. These operating systems are very complex and require significant machine resources.

Different models of computers use operating systems with different architectures and capabilities. Their work requires different resources. Οʜᴎ provide a varying degree of service for programming and working with ready-made programs.

An operating system for a personal computer intended for professional use should contain the following main components:

• I / O control programs;
• programs that manage the file system and schedule tasks for the computer;
• command language processor that accepts, parses, and executes instructions addressed to the operating system.

Each operating system has its own command language , which allows the user to perform certain actions:

• refer to the catalog;
• perform markup on external media;
• run programs;
• ... other actions.

Analysis and execution of user commands, including loading ready-made programs from files into RAM and launching them, is carried out command processor operating system.

To control external devices of the computer, special system programs are used - drivers ... The standard device drivers collectively form basic input / output system (BIOS), which is usually written to the permanent memory of the computer.

What is an operating system - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "What is an operating system" 2017, 2018.

And really, what is it? For the definition, let's refer to Wikipedia. Here is what it says: “An operating system is a complex of control and processing programs that, on the one hand, act as an interface between computing system devices and application programs, and on the other hand, are designed to control devices, control computing processes, and efficiently allocate computing resources. between computing processes and the organization of reliable computing. This definition applies to most modern general-purpose operating systems. " In simpler terms, this is a special program for a computer, laptop or other device, with which you can control this very device. We can say that the OS is the bridge between a person and his PC.

OS operation functions

• In fact, there are a lot of these functions, so I will tell you about the most important of them. So the operating system:

• Allows to execute command requests

• Loads programs into RAM and executes them

• Provides user interface

• Provides access to a variety of devices, including peripherals

• Manages RAM, as well as access to various types of media

• Delimits processes' access to resources

• Interacts between workflows

• Provides multiplayer mode between different users

• Provides multitasking performance

By the way, an interesting fact. In most household appliances, many telephones, cars, etc. OS is not used. It just isn't necessary for a device that does just a few simple steps. For this, special microcomputers are used, which can be bypassed independently by launching one or another type of program.

Types of operating systems

Within the framework of this article, I would also like to talk a little about the most popular operating systems today. And I'll start with perhaps the most popular of them.

Windows

There is no person in the world who would not know about Windows - Microsoft's operating system, the first launch of which took place back in 1985. Windows 7 and Windows 8 are the most popular on the market today.

Unfortunately, popularization has several big drawbacks, one of which is a huge number of viruses and Trojans created specifically for Windows. Trojans are often very dangerous because they not only affect the operation of the PC in general, but can also steal valuable data.

However, Windows has a lot more advantages. For example, there are so many different programs and games for her that you won't be able to test even a tenth of them in your entire life.

Apple Mac OS X

The second most popular operating system in the world, occupies just over five percent of the market as of 2011. It is worth noting that it was in Mac OS that the popularization of the graphical user interface began in the form in which we see it now.

Mac OS was developed under the guidance of the great Steve Jobs, but has always been in the shadow of Windows. This is also due to the fact that the axis was installed exclusively on Apple computers, although today it can be installed on any PC.

One of the advantages is the relatively good protection against viruses, since there are very few of them for this OS. And yet they are.

Linux

This is the general name for Unix-like operating systems that are based on the kernel of the same name. Since the kernel is open source software, there is no official version of Linux and never has been - the software is distributed in the form of assemblies and is always only free.

Despite the fact that this axis is distributed free of charge, according to recent estimates, its development cost several billion dollars, although the operating system was finalized exclusively by the hands of enthusiasts.

Linux is quite popular among both users and various companies, including government ones.

Android

And this is a mobile operating system designed for tablets, smartphones, netbooks, etc. Now owned by the Internet giant Google, before that it was developed by the company of the same name.

As of the moment, it owns more than 70% of the mobile device market. This is a leader, which simply has no equal - it is on Android that the largest number of smartphones and tablets are produced.

iOS

The operating system is used exclusively on Apple mobile gadgets. It was developed in 2007. It was shown much earlier than Android, so if the axis could be installed on devices of other companies, it might be much more popular today than Android.

OPERATING SYSTEMS, THEIR PURPOSE AND VARIATIONS

An operating system (OS) is a collection of programs that perform two main functions: providing the user with the convenience of a virtual machine and increasing the efficiency of using a computer while efficiently managing its resources.

A virtual machine is a functional equivalent of an imaginary computer with a given configuration, simulated by the software and hardware of a real computer. The OS hides from the user the peculiarities of the physical location of information on disks and handles interrupts (termination of the computing process caused by requirements for servicing other devices), management of timers and RAM. As a result, the user is presented with a virtual machine that implements the work at the logical level.

The following requirements are imposed on modern operating systems:

• compatibility - the OS must include the means to run applications prepared for other OS;
• portability - providing the ability to transfer an OS from one hardware platform to another;
• reliability and fault tolerance - involves protecting the OS from internal and external errors, failures and failures;
• security - the OS must contain means of protecting the resources of some users from others;
• extensibility - the OS should provide the convenience of making subsequent changes and additions;
• performance - the system must be fast enough.

By the number of simultaneously executed tasks, OS single-tasking (MS DOS, early versions of PC DOS) and multitasking (OS / 2, UNIX, Windows) are distinguished.

Single-tasking operating systems provide the user with a virtual machine and include tools for managing files, peripherals, and communication with the user. Multitasking operating systems additionally manage the sharing of shared resources between tasks. Multitasking can be non-preemptive (NetWare, Windows3 / 95/98) and preemptive (Windows NT, OS / 2, UNIX). In the first case, the active process, upon termination, itself transfers control to the OS to select another process from the queue. In the second, the decision to switch the processor from one process to another is made by the OS.

By the number of concurrent users, the OS is divided into single-user (MS DOS, Windows 3x, early versions of OS / 2) and multi-user (UNIX, WINDOWS NT). In multi-user systems, there are means of protecting user information from unauthorized access.

The network operating system contains means of transferring data between computers via communication lines and the implementation of data transfer protocols.

In addition to operating systems focused on a specific type of hardware platform, there are mobile operating systems that are easily portable to different types of computers (UNIX). In such operating systems, the hardware-dependent places are localized and are rewritten when the system is transferred. The hardware-independent part is implemented in a high-level programming language, as a rule, in the C language, and is recompiled with. switching to another platform.

Currently, about 90% of computers are running Windows. A broader class of OS is targeted for use on servers. This class of OS includes the UNIX family, Microsoft development (MS DOS and Windows), Novell networking products and IBM corporation.

UNIX - multiuser, multitasking OS, includes powerful enough protection tools for programs and files of various users. UNIX OS is machine-independent, which ensures high mobility of the OS and easy portability of application programs to computers of various architectures. An important feature of the UNIX-based OS is its modularity and an extensive set of service programs that create a favorable operating environment for user-programmers (that is, the system is especially effective for specialists - application programmers).

Regardless of the version, the common UNIX features are multi-user mode with means of protecting data from unauthorized access; implementation of multitasking processing in the time-sharing mode; system portability by writing the main part in C language.

The disadvantage of UNIX is its high resource consumption, and for small single-user systems based on personal computers, it is often redundant.

In general, the OS of the UNIX family is focused primarily on large local (corporate) and global networks that unite the work of thousands of users. UNIX and its version of LINUX are widely spread on the Internet, where machine independence of the OS is of paramount importance.

MS DOS was widely used for personal computers based on Intel 8088-80486 processors.

Currently MS DOS it is practically not used to control personal computers. However, it should not be considered that it has completely exhausted its capabilities and has lost its relevance. Low hardware resource requirements leave DOS promising for practical use. For example, in 1997, the company SaShega began work on adapting DR DOS (an analogue of MS DOS) to the embedded operating system market for small high-precision devices connected to the Internet and intranet networks. These devices include cash registers, fax machines, personal digital assistants, electronic notebooks, etc.

OS Windows is a family of operating systems, including: Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 9X, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME (the first two are usually called operating shells, since DOS was installed separately for them). Windows 95 is characterized by ease of installation, low levels of data protection, and resilience to application failures. Windows 95 has an intuitive interface, supports plug-and-play technology, and contains built-in networking tools.

Windows 98 is an evolution of Windows 95. This version is tightly integrated with the Internet Explorer Web browser and contains a large number of drivers for old and new devices. Users note a simplified OS installation process, lower requirements for processor power, memory and disk space compared to NT. One of the varieties of Windows is Windows CE. This line of OS is designed for use on laptop computers. Windows CE is a 32-bit object-oriented multitasking operating system with built-in power saving features. Windows CE version 3.0 (2000) approaches real-time systems in its capabilities. Most of this compact operating system is stored in the flash memory of laptop computers. Windows NT 5.0 or Windows 2000 is a fully 32-bit OS with priority multitasking, improved memory management, and was designed from the ground up with reliability, security, and management features. Windows 2000 comes in four flavors: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 DataCenter Server. These versions differ in the number of services and programs included in the delivery, the degree of hardware support.

Operating system OS / 2 (Operating system / 2) is a single-user multitasking OS, one-way (MS DOS -> OS / 2) software compatible with MS DOS and designed to work with MP 80386 and higher (IBM PC and PS / 2). OS / 2 can simultaneously execute up to 16 programs (each of them in its own memory segment), but among them there is only one prepared for MS DOS.

An important feature of OS / 2 is the presence of a multi-window user interface; software interfaces for working with the database system; effective software interfaces for working in local area networks. The disadvantages of OS / 2 include, first of all, the relatively small amount of software applications developed to date.