WHAT IS THE OPERATING SYSTEM?
The operating system is the set of computer programs that allows the efficient management of a computer's resources.
The operating system is also known as the system or software and can be defined as the set of programs that are specifically made to perform various tasks in which it acts as an intermediary between the user and the computer.
The operating system is the most important program on the computer, as it starts working as soon as the computer is turned on, since it manages the hardware and allows interaction with the user.
Functions
The operating system provides the computer with basic routines to control all the computer's devices and to manage, scale, and perform task interaction.
Its main task is to manage the team's tasks and resources, coordinate the hardware, and organize the files and directories on the computer's storage devices.
But it also performs other functions such as managing the exchange of internal memory between the various applications; running several programs at the same time and determining in what order and for how long they should be executed; managing the exchange of internal memory between applications; it deals with the input and output of connected hardware devices such as hard drives, printers or ports.
Some operating systems allow the management of a large number of users, while others control hardware devices. One of the best-known functions of an operating system is to load programs into memory and facilitate their execution.
When a program is running, the operating system continues its work, since many programs need to access the keyboard, for example, video, printer, or hard drive to read and write files, for example.
The operating system has a great responsibility, as it ensures that all programs and computer components function properly.
The operating system consists of a set of software packages that can be used to manage interactions with the hardware.
These packages are included in the following software suite:
- The kernel; representative of the basic functions of the operating system, such as memory management, process management, file management, etc.
- The command interpreter makes communication with the operating system possible through a control language, allowing the user to control peripherals without needing to know the characteristics of the hardware used.
- File system; allows files to be organized in a tree structure
