Chapter 15 Operating System Basics

Windows 10 Pro does not have

BranchCache and DirectAccess, which are considered corporate features.

Before you can begin to install an OS, you must

Determine hardware compatibility and minimum requirements, determine installation options, determine the installation method, and prepare the computer for installation.

After assessing the requirements for the operating system and verifying that the operating system will be compatible with your hardware, you need to

decide which features will be required for your installation and choose the appropriate edition of the operating system.

An operating system life cycle is

defined from the time an operating system is introduced to the time an operating system is no longer supported.

Cooperative multitasking is a multitasking method that

depends on the application itself to be responsible for using the processor and then freeing it for access by other applications

Windows 10 Education is primarily used by

education organizations, such as K-12 and higher-education institutions.

Drivers are

extremely specific software written for the purpose of instructing a particular OS on how to access a piece of hardware.

Encrypted File System (EFS) is a

file and folder encryption feature.

If any application locked up while using the processor during cooperative multitasking, the application was unable to

free the processor to do other tasks and the entire system locked, usually forcing a reboot.

The term service pack is

generally associated with updates and also describes a milestone in the life cycle of an operating system.

You can make the taskbar automatically

hide itself when it isn't being used (thus freeing that space for use by the Desktop or other windows).

A hardware compatibility list (HCL) is

list of all the hardware developed by operating system vendors that works with the operating system. Microsoft published HCLs for many versions of Windows.

A graphical user interface, or GUI, is a

method by which a person communicates with a computer using graphical images, icons, and methods other than text.

Windows 10 Enterprise can be found in

mid- to large-sized organizations.

An application is

software that is written to supplement the commands available to a particular OS.

Cloud-based operating systems are considered

state-less because personal data is not primarily stored on the device but in the cloud. ex) mobile OS and chrome OS

If an application crashes during preemptive multitasking, the OS

takes control of the processor away from the locked application and passes it on to the next application, which should be unaffected.

Windows 10 Home only has

the Cortana feature.

Preemptive multitasking is a multitasking method in which

the OS allots each application a certain amount of processor time and then forcibly takes back control and gives another application or task access to the processor.

"Minimum specifications" are

the absolute minimum requirements for hardware that your system should meet in order to install and run the OS version you have chosen.

The source code is

the actual code that defines how a piece of software works.

Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 minimum system requirements for 32-Bit OS

1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of free hard disk space, and Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 driver

Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 minimum system requirements for 64-Bit OS

1 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of free hard disk space, and Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 driver

You cannot execute 64-bit software on

32-bit operating systems because the instructions sets are functionally different.

You can run most 32-bit software on

64-bit hardware.

Secondary mouse click (or alternate click)

A secondary mouse click generally displays a context-sensitive menu in Windows from which you can perform tasks or view object properties.

Primary mouse click

A single click (typically the left mouse button) is used to select an object or place a cursor.

The term ARM is commonly used to denote operating systems that can run on

Advanced RISC Machine processors.

Windows 10 has four main editions of the operating system:

Home, Pro, Education, and Enterprise.

What does it mean for executable code to be shared?

It means that it is written into the operating system and can therefore be used by multiple applications running on that OS.

What does open source mean?

OS can be examined and modified by anyone

What does closed source mean?

Only an owner or developer can modify or examine the code.

Windows 8 and above allows you to easily change what in regards to the lock screen?

The lock screen wallpaper as well as the applications that are displayed on the lock screen.

Double-click

Two primary mouse clicks in quick succession are used to open a program through an icon or for other application-specific functions.

Some Linux distributions include

Ubuntu, Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS, and Debian.

An operating system in alpha is

a first draft of an operating system, considered a preview, and are common to find in open-source communities.

BitLocker is

a full disk volume encryption technology.

DirectAccess provides

a method of an automatic connection for a virtual private network (VPN) between the client and a main office, and is location-aware.

A version is

a particular revision of a piece of software, normally described by a number that tells you how new the product is in relation to other versions of the product.

An operating system in beta is

a second draft of an operating system used to discover missing features and new bugs.

The taskbar is

a standard component of the Windows interface that contains the Start menu and the notification area, previously called the system tray (systray).

The Education and Enterprise editions are available with

a volume license agreement from Microsoft.

Multithreading is the

ability of a single application to have multiple requests in to the processor at one time, which results in faster application performance.

A 32-bit operating system has the limitation of

addressing only 4 GBs of RAM.

When a service pack is released for an operating system, it

adds major features as well as patches for both security and functionality.

Windows 10 Education has

all available features (BranchCache, DirectAccess, BitLocker, Joining a domain, and Encrypted File System (EFS)), but not Cortana

Windows 10 Enterprise has

all available features (BranchCache, DirectAccess, BitLocker, Joining a domain, and Encrypted File System (EFS)), including Cortana

During the mainstream support of an operating system,

all hotfixes, security updates, feature updates, and general support for the operating system is supported.

Chrome OS is

an operating system that is designed around the Chrome web browser by Google and was released on the hardware platform known as the Chromebook.

When the operating system is preinstalled, it is referred to as

an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) operating system. ex) Windows 10 Home and Pro

A network is

any group of computers that have a communication link between them and allow computers to share information and resources quickly and securely.

Linux was created as a

as a free, open-source operating system that mimicked the design of the MINIX (mini-UNIX) operating system, which was a minimal version of UNIX.

The screen saver can be configured to

automatically display on your screen if your computer has been inactive for a certain period of time (originally used to prevent burn-in of monitors).

The Display Settings window for Windows 10 includes

background, colors, lock screen, themes, fonts, screen saver, and start.

Windows 8 was created to

be more compatible with tablets and mobile devices and is considered a tile-based operating system.

The Linux operating system is considered

both a workstation operating system and a server operating system, depending on its installation and configuration.

Windows 8.1 came with a

button that launched the tile- based menu called the Start screen.

BranchCache allows for

caching of commonly accessed files at branch office locations.

Before installing an operating system, you should

check all your computer's components against an HCL to ensure that they are compatible with the version of operating system you plan to install.

An operating system that is deemed a release candidate is

in the final stage before it is released to the market, which gives the administrator a previewed look at the operating system and helps to polish the final product, also called the release to market (RTM).

When the mainstream support ends for an operating system,

it is either no longer supported or enters into an extended support period.

The end-of-life date for an operating system means that

it will no longer receive updates, newer features will not be added to the operating system in the future, and security updates will no longer be offered.

The Microsoft Windows operating system is

one of the most popular operating systems adopted by business and personal users and is considered a workstation operating system (current version).

A 32-bit operating system is

one that can not only run on a 32- bit processor but can utilize the capabilities of the processor fully.

The term x86 is commonly used to refer to

operating systems intended to run on the Intel 32-bit (prior to switching to the Pentium line).

The term x64 is commonly used to denote

operating systems that can run on AMD 64-bit processors, commonly referred to as AMD64

Server operating systems are

optimized for background processes used for access by clients and allow for the sharing of information and applications by workstation operating systems.

Workstation operating systems are

optimized for foreground processes, such as the GUI, and allow end users to access information and applications on server operating systems as well as independently run applications locally.

Mobile operating systems are

optimized for touch-based devices where one program is used at a time and are found on mobile devices such as phones and tablets.

The operating system (OS) provides a consistent environment for

other software to execute commands.

A shell is a

program that runs on top of the OS and allows the user to issue commands through a set of menus or another interface (which may or may not be graphical).

ARM operating systems use a

reduced instruction set computing (RISC) instruction set, which commonly found on tablet and phone processors. ex) ARMv8 processors, which can support 64-bit OSs

Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro are both available through

retail channels and can be purchased off the shelf.

The Fonts section allows you to

review any font installed on the operating system, which are used by applications that allow changing of fonts.

You can pin any running task by

right-clicking the icon in the taskbar and selecting Pin to Taskbar.

The Color section allows you to

select a color scheme for the Start menu or to change the color or size of other Desktop elements.

The Background section is used to

select a picture to display on the Desktop, select a group of pictures to display as a slideshow, or display a static color.

The Themes section allows you to

select a theme to customize the look and feel of your machine quickly by setting several items at once, which otherwise would be selected individually through the other personalization tabs.

The OS provides users with an interface with the computer so that they can

send commands (input) and receive feedback or results (output).

All operating systems fit into one of four different broad categories:

server, workstation, mobile or cloud-based

The Start section allows you to

set the options for the Start menu, such as to show the most used apps or to show recently added apps.

The term random access memory (RAM) is used to describe

the amount of memory installed and accessible for an operating system, which hold the operating system code and the programs you open on the operating system.

A current operating system is

the current release of an operating system.

Apple Macintosh OS (macOS) is

the current version of the operating system for Apple Macintosh laptop and computer hardware platforms and is considered a workstation operating system.

The extended support period, sometimes called the long-term support (LTS) period, for an operating system is

the final state of an operating system's life cycle when hotfixes and features, except critical security updates, are no longer supported.

When a program is pinned to the taskbar in Windows 8 and Windows 10,

the icon will appear on the taskbar, and when the program is running, a line will appear under the icon.

The Desktop is

the virtual desk on which all your other programs and utilities run that contains the Start menu, the taskbar, and a number of icons by default.

Microsoft Windows Phone, Microsoft Windows Tablet, Android, and iOS are all examples of

tile-based, mobile operating systems.

By right-clicking the taskbar and unselecting Lock the taskbar, you

unlock the taskbar, which allows the user to increase the size of the taskbar as well as move its position on the Desktop.

DirectAccess allows

users that travel access to corporate resources, as if they were in the office.

"Recommended hardware specifications" are

what you should have in your system in order to realize usable performance.

A 64-bit operating system is one that is

written to utilize the instructions possible with 64-bit processors.