Operating System
An operating system is a group of programs that controls the hardware resources of a computer and offers shared services to applications. The most significant kind of system software in a computer system is the operating system.
An operating system is a comprehensive collection of specialized applications that manage every aspect of a computer's operation. All other programs that are installed on the computer, including application programs and other system software, are managed and observed by it. Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and other systems are examples of operating systems.
Types of Operating Systems in Computer Fundamentals
The list of several operating system types is shown below.
- Multiprogramming System
- Multi-threading System
- Multi-tasking System
- Multiprocessing System
- Time-sharing System
- Real-time System
- Single user System
- Multi-user System
1. Multi-programming System
Multiple programs can run simultaneously, a phenomenon known as multiprogramming. Prior to the idea of an operating system, a single application could only be loaded and executed at once. Because the CPU was not used effectively, these systems were inefficient.
For example:
when a program in a single-tasking system waits for an input or output to complete, the CPU is not employed. Assigning CPUs to several processes while the present one might not be completed is the concept behind multiprogramming.
2. Multi-threading System
The capacity of an operating system or application to support numerous users simultaneously without requiring multiple copies of the program to operate simultaneously on the computer is known as multithreading.
Additionally, numerous requests from the same user can be handled by multithreading. Every user request for a program or system service is monitored as a distinct thread. The work status of the original request is monitored until the task is finished, even when programs working on behalf of the initial thread request are interrupted by other requests. Another software might likewise be a user in this situation.
3. Multi-tasking System
Multitasking in an operating system lets a user work on multiple computer tasks at once. Processes that share a common processing resource, such as a CPU, are referred to as many tasks. The operating system allows you to switch between various tasks without losing any data because it keeps track of where you are in each one.
Two primary categories of multitasking exist. These are listed in the following order:
- Preemptive Multitasking
- Cooperative Multitasking
4. Multiprocessing System
Multiprocessor operating systems allow multiple CPUs to be employed within a single computer system to boost performance. The purpose of networking many CPUs is to divide a job among them for speedier execution. The final output is produced after a job is completed by compiling the results from every CPU. Jobs may share various system resources among themselves in addition to the primary memory. It is also possible to perform many jobs at once on more than one CPU.
There are two types of Multiprocessing Systems:
- Operating system with symmetric multiprocessing
- Asymmetric operating system with several processors
5. Time-sharing System
Multiprogramming makes sense to extend to time-sharing. The user can engage with each program while it is operating since the CPU changes between several jobs so often. A time-shared operating system enables simultaneous use of computers by several users. Each operation or order reduces the size of the shared system, requiring less CPU time from each user. Each user gets the idea that the entire computer system is dedicated to their use, even when it is shared by several users, as the system quickly rotates between them.
6. Single-user System
An operating system that only permits one user to complete one work at a time is known as a single-user operating system. Because it can only handle one task at a time, the single-user operating system is also referred to as the single-tasking operating system. A single user may access your computer at a time using the single-user operating system, while it occasionally supports numerous profiles. It can be utilized in numerous contexts, including official professional settings.
Thus, memory protection, file protection, and security system support are not needed for this operating system. This operating system's machines have a single processor that can only ever run one software. All the resources are provided by this system.
7. Multi-user System
When multiple users may access a single system running a single operating system, the system is said to be multi-user. These systems often have a great deal of complexity to them, and they have to handle the demands of the different users that are linked to them. Typically, users will be seated at terminals or PCs that are networked to the system, along with additional system devices like printers. A linked single-user operating system is not the same as a multi-user operating system because many users access the same operating system from separate computers.
Operating systems for multiple users come in several varieties. Here are a few of them:
- Dispersed Framework
- Systems Sliced in Time
- Multiple Processor System
