Operating Systems - Review

What are the characteristics of a network operating system?

A NOS has the following characteristics: Supports multiple users Runs multi-user applications Provides increased security compared to desktop operating systems

What are the characteristics of a desktop OS?

A desktop OS has the following characteristics: Supports a single user Runs single-user applications Shares files and folders on a small network with limited security

What is multi threading?

A program can be broken into smaller parts that are loaded as needed by the operating system. Multi threading allows different parts of a program to be run at the same time.

What two things does an operating system provide to the user?

All computers rely on an OS to provide the interface for the interaction between users, applications, and hardware. The OS boots the computer and manages the file system.

What is API (Application Programming Interface)?

An API allows programs to access the resources managed by the operating system in a consistent and reliable manner.

Which of these is not a key resource managed by the operating system?

Application programs.

What is an application?

Applications are software programs, such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets, and games.

What are the two types of user interface?

Command-line interface (CLI) Graphical user interface (GUI)

Which type operating system allows a user to carry out a broad range of general-purpose tasks?

Desktop OS.

In the current software market what are the three most common operating systems?

In the current software market, the most commonly used desktop operating systems fall into three groups: Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS, and Linux.

Which of the three common operating systems is open source?

Linux

What are the most common network operating systems?

Microsoft, Linux, Novel, Netware

What does the OS enable user to do?

The OS enables the user to interact with the software and hardware.

What controls almost all functions on a computer?

The Operating System

Explain multi tasking.

The computer is capable of operating multiple applications at the same time.

What is multi processing?

The operating system can support two or more CPUs.

What are the two distinct types of Operating Systems?

There are two distinct types of operating systems: desktop and network.

What is a device driver?

To access and communicate with each hardware component, the OS uses a program called a device driver.

What is the role of an Operating System?

To allocate processor, memory & I/O devices to processes and to hide the complexities of the hardware from the user.

What is meant by multi user?

Two or more users have individual accounts that allow them to work with programs and peripheral devices at the same time.

What are the roles of an operating system?

all operating systems perform the same four basic functions: Control hardware access Manage files and folders Provide a user interface Manage applications