The modern world is hard to imagine without the use of computer or mobile technology. She is present everywhere today. All such devices are running operating systems. But what is any OS, what are the purpose and functions of the operating system? Unfortunately, most ordinary users cannot clearly answer this question. Therefore, it is further proposed to consider some aspects related to both understanding the structure of the OS and its functions.
Operating system: purpose and main functions
If you look a little into the term “operating system” itself, even a person who has absolutely nothing to do with computer technology will be able to immediately determine what it is. Since the system is operating, it means that it performs some operations. But which ones?
The main purpose of the operating system, in a nutshell, comes down to the fact that ultimately it is a means of user interaction with the computer, hardware and software, and software components among themselves. In other words, we are talking about the organization and control of computational processes involving certain components designed to perform specific tasks (user, system, etc.).
You can compare any OS with a certain intermediary between all components that interact at all levels exclusively through access to the operating system, its modules and tools. Without it, neither installed equipment (apart from some peripheral devices) nor programs will work. As another comparison, you can bring the most ordinary car that does not have an engine. The main components like a body, wheels or gearbox are available, the driver acts as a user, and the car still does not want to go without an engine. So it is here.
Types of Operating Systems
For now, we’ll leave the questions related to the purpose of the computer’s operating system and consider what OS are. For them, several basic classifications are accepted, depending on different unifying attributes.
So, by the type of user interface and organization of computing processes, a division is often made into systems created on the basis of object-oriented programming in the form of commercial Windows and MacOSX systems, DOS-and UNIX-like operating systems (Linux, Solaris, etc.), which, by the way, are free, open source and distributed under the GNU license, which means that they can be changed by other software developers or programming enthusiasts, for example, for the purpose of modernization.
However, if you take any modification of Linux, the purpose of the operating system will still remain the same as described in general order.
On the other hand, all operating systems are divided into four categories: single-user (single and multi-tasking) and similar multi-user. To understand this classification, perhaps, no special explanation is needed. The only thing worth noting is multitasking in single-user OS. To what we observe, for example, in Windows, it has practically nothing to do with it, and it comes down mainly to the exchange of data between the user and the machine, followed by the printing of the results.
Operating system: composition and purpose of the main modules
Now let's look at the main components that are present in any type of OS. The main components are as follows:
- core;
- command processor;
- drivers;
- service tools.
If we talk about the main functionality, here we can distinguish the following areas:
- organization of loading into RAM and execution of programs of any level;
- RAM management at the level of its distribution between the launched processes, including the organization of the virtual memory;
- access control to volatile computer components and peripherals;
- work with networks and network protocols;
- ensuring the functioning of the user interface.
Sometimes, as additional functions, multitasking (parallel or pseudo-parallel execution of several tasks), distribution of system resources between processes and services with access priority organization, ensuring uninterrupted interaction between individual processes, ensuring the security of the OS itself and user data, etc.
Primary I / O Relationship
Despite the fact that modern operating systems can do a lot, they cannot do without primary BIOS modules (or modern UEFI). Why is that?
Yes, just because the primary input / output system contains basic information about all the “iron” components installed on the computer (more precisely, connected to the motherboard), and immediately after power is supplied, before the main operating system starts up, it checks their operability, and only then transfers control of the computer to the bootloader. All owners of stationary terminals know that when you turn on the computer, sound is heard from the system speaker. A single signal just indicates that everything is in order with the installed equipment (otherwise there can be several signals, and their sequence and number can reveal which particular component of the computer is not working, working incorrectly, damaged or missing). In a sense, the BIOS can also be called a kind of operating system, the purpose of which now is to test the hardware and save information about it. Somewhat earlier, when DOS systems were still used, the BIOS also contained a bootloader start tool for these OSs.
GUI
The first thing the user sees after the system is fully loaded is the main graphical interface with the “Desktop”, panels and buttons. The purpose of the Windows operating system with such an organization of the appearance of the OS is to ensure that the user can quickly and easily get access to the necessary system functions or installed programs.
In all operating systems that were developed using object-oriented programming based on the C + / ++ language, the main control is carried out using the keyboard and manipulators (mice, joysticks, touchpads, gamepads, etc.), which differs most dramatically from direct input of commands like DOS-systems (although in the same Windows OS of any generation there is a similar tool in the form of a command line).
Core
The core is a basic module responsible for organizing and managing the file system, or, more simply, provides data exchange between devices of various types, including peripherals.
Simply put, this is a tool for ensuring the interaction of hardware (hardware) based on installed drivers with other system or user applications.
Command processor
Speaking about the purpose of the operating system in general terms, it is impossible to ignore the command processor, sometimes also called an interpreter, which either requests or executes user commands, or both. It can be anything. The same output of various kinds of messages in which the user is offered the choice of some action is the simplest manifestation of the operation of this processor. On the other hand, the user himself can initiate a request to execute some command, for example, in the form of a normal launch of an installed application.
Device drivers
Drivers installed for equipment of any type (even hardware, virtual) perform one of the most important functions in the system - ensuring the correct operation of any installed equipment (hardware complex). Nowhere without them.
If we consider the Windows operating systems, they test the components present in the process of their own installation and install the necessary control software (but only from their driver database). But this approach often turns out to be ineffective, because non-standard devices or equipment may be present in the computer system, the manufacturer of which Microsoft does not have support. Nevertheless, the systems themselves, despite the impossibility of installing the necessary driver, still identify such devices by the special identifiers VEN (Vendor - manufacturer) and DEV (Device - device). If you know them, finding the right driver on the Internet that will most closely match the installed component that is not defined by the system will not be difficult.
Service Modules
As already mentioned, the purpose of the operating system also consists in the maintenance of both itself and the computer components used by it.
So, as a simple example, you can use the tools for checking, cleaning and defragmenting a hard disk, testing network connections, say, based on the use of the ping command, performing some operations with files and folders (archiving, compression, etc.).
reference system
Finally, a few words about using help. This system is designed to quickly get an answer to a specific question of interest to a user. If earlier access could be obtained only to the entire directory (F1), over time in the same Windows systems it became possible to search for the desired section with a concretization of the issue. In addition, you can use the system of hints and recommendations, which can greatly facilitate the work with any application or system tool.
Brief summary
To summarize and draw some basic conclusions, it can be noted that the purpose of the “Operating System” program (and this, by and large, is just a program, or, if you want, a set of programs) is reduced to providing simplified user interaction with a computer (for which , in fact, all OSs were developed) by hiding the execution of background processes and the implementation of connections between all components of the software and hardware complex at any level.