Chapter 8
Operating Systems and
Utility Programs
By: James Granahan
Objectives
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Identify the types of system software
Summarize the startup process
Describe the function of an operating system
Discuss ways that some operating systems help
Explain the purpose of the utilities included with most
operating systems
• Summarize the features of several stand-alone
operating systems
• Identify devices that use operating systems
• Explain the purpose of several stand-alone utility
programs
System Software
• System software consists of the programs that
control or maintain the operations of the computer
and its devices.
• System software serves as the interface between the
user, the application software, and the computer’s
hardware.
Operating Systems
• An operating system
(OS) is a set of
programs containing
instructions that
coordinate all the
activities among
computer hardware
resources.
• In most cases, the
operating system is
installed and resides
on the computer’s
hard disk.
Some Functions of an Operating System
• Starting a Computer
– Booting is the process of starting or
restarting a computer.
• Cold Boot
• Warm Boot
Recovery Disk
• A boot drive is the drive from which
your personal computer boots (starts).
– In most cases, the C drive is the boot
drive.
• A recovery disk, also called a boot disk,
is a floppy, Zip disk, CD, or DVD that
contains a few system files that will
start that computer.
Providing a User Interface
• Command-Line Interface
– A user types commands or presses special
keys on the keyboard to enter data and
instructions.
• Menu-Driven Interface
– Provides menus as a means of entering
commands.
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Managing Programs
• Single user/single tasking operating
system
• Single user/ multitasking operating
system
– Foreground
– Background
Managing Memory
• The purpose of a
memory manager is to
optimize the use of
random access memory.
• Virtual memory is a
portion of a storage
medium that the
operating system
allocates to function as
additional RAM.
Scheduling Jobs
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•
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Job
Buffer
Spooling
Queue
Configuring Devices
• A driver, short for
device driver, is a
small program that
tells the operating
system how to
communicate with a
specific device.
• Plug and Play is
when the operating
system
automatically
configures new
devices as you
install them.
Monitoring Performance
• A performance monitor is a program
that assesses and reports information
about various computer resources and
devices.
• A network operating system, or network
OS, is an operating system that
organizes and coordinates how multiple
users access and share resources on a
network.
Security
• Log on
– Accessing a computer or a network
• User name or User ID
– A unique combination of characters that
identifies one specific user.
• Password
– A private combination of characters
associated with the user name that allows
access to certain computer resources.
Operating Systems
• File Manager
– A utility that
performs functions
related to file
management.
• Image Viewer
– A utility that allows
users to display and
copy the contents of
a graphics file.
Types of Operating Systems
• Stand-alone
– Examples- DOS, UNIX, and Linux
• Network
– Examples- NetWare, Windows Server 2003,
and Solaris
• Embedded
– Examples- Windows CE.NET, and Palm OS
Examples of Stand-Alone Operating
Systems
• DOS
– Refers to several single user operating systems
developed in the early 1980s for personal
computers.
• Windows XP
– It is Microsoft's fastest, most reliable Windows
operating system.
– It also has three editions- Windows XP Home
Edition, Windows XP Professional, and Windows
XP Tablet PC Edition.
Stand-Alone Operating Systems
• A stand-alone operating system is a
complete operating system that works
on a desktop computer, notebook
computer, or mobile computing device.
• Some stand-alone operating systems
are called client operating systems.
Examples continued
• Mac OS X
– It is a multitasking operating system available only
for computers manufactured by Apple.
• OS/2 Warp Client
• Unix
• Linux
– It is a popular multitasking UNIX—type operating
system.
Network Operating Systems
• Netware
• Windows Server
2003
– It is an upgrade of
Windows 2000
Server.
• OS/2 Warp Server
for e-business
• UNIX
• Linux
• Solaris
– It is a version of
UNIX developed by
Sun Microsystems.
Embedded Operating Systems
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Windows CE.NET
Pocket PC 2002
Palm OS
Symbian OS
Stand-Alone Utility Programs
• Antivirus Programs
– Protects a computer
against viruses by
identifying and
removing any
computer viruses
found in memory, on
storage media, or on
incoming files.
• Personal Firewalls
– A personal firewall is
a utility program that
detects and protects
a personal computer
from unauthorized
intrusions.
Summary
• This chapter defined an operating
system and then discussed the
functions common to most operating
systems. It also introduced several
utility programs that are commonly
found in operating systems. Finally, it
talked about stand-alone utility
programs and their applications.