CSC204

PRACTICAL APPROACH
OF OPERATING SYSTEM
Chapter 1.1:
Understanding OS

1.1 UNDERSTANDING
OS

1.1.1 What is OS?

1.1.2 History of OS
Development
1.1.3 Types of OS

1.1Understanding OS
1.1.1 What is OS?

An OS is a program that acts as an intermediary

between a user of a computer and the
computer hardware

Operating system goals:

Execute user programs and make solving user

problems easier.
Make the computer system convenient to use

An operating system uses the computer

hardware in an efficient manner

1.1Understanding OS
A computer system can be divided roughly
into:
1. Hardware provides basic computing
resources for the system
2. Operating
system
controls and
coordinates the use of the hardware among
the various application programs for the
various users
3. Applications programs define the ways
in which the system resources are used to
solve the computing problems of the users

1.1Understanding OS
Abstract View of System Components

1.1Understanding OS
Operating System Main Functions

Resource allocator manages and

allocates resources

Control program controls the execution of

user programs and operations of I/O devices

Kernel the one program running at all

times on the computer (along with the kernel,
there are 2 other types of programs: system
programs and application programs)

1.1Understanding OS
In

general, a
computer system
has some resources
which may be
utilized to solve a
problem. They are
Memory
Processor(s)
I/O
File System
etc.

1.1Understanding OS
The

OS manages these resources and

allocates them to specific programs and
users.
With the management of the OS, a
programmer is rid of difficult hardware
considerations.
An OS provides services for
Processor Management
Memory Management
File Management
Device Management
Concurrency Control

1.1Understanding OS
1.1.2 History of OS Development

First generation 1945 - 1955

Technology: vacuum tubes & plugboards
Programming: setting some switches
Programming language: machine language
Tasks: tables of sine, cosine, logarithms
OS: none

Computer designer is:

builder and
programmer and
operator and
sys admin

1.1Understanding OS

Second generation 1955 1965

Technology: Transistors
Programming: Punched cards
Programming languages: FORTRAN & Assembly
Tasks: Scientific
Computer: Mainframes
OS: Batch system

Universities started to buy computers

(millions $)

Separation between computer designers,

builders, operators, programmers and
maintenance personnel.
10

1.1Understanding OS

Second generation 1955 1965

Technology: Transistors
Programming: Punched cards
Programming languages: FORTRAN & Assembly
Tasks: Scientific
Computer: Mainframes
OS: Batch system

Universities started to buy computers

(millions $)

Separation between computer designers,

builders, operators, programmers and
maintenance personnel.
11

1.1Understanding OS
Third

Technology: ICs
Programming: Punched cards
Programming languages: FORTRAN & Assembly
Tasks: Scientific & commercial
Computers: IBM 360, DEC PDPs
OS: Multiprogramming/timesharing, spooling

OSes

generation 1965 1980

Developed:

MULTICS (father of all modern OSes)

UNIX (System V, BSD)
POSIX (by IEEE)
MINIX (by Tanenbaum)
Linux (derived from MINIX)

12

1.1Understanding OS

Fourth generation 1980-Present

Technology: VLSI
Programming: High level
Programming languages: C/C++, Java,

Computer: PC
OS: Windows, MacOS, Linux

Cheap PCs

13

1.1Understanding OS
1.1.3

Types of OS
a) Batch
b) Time Sharing/Interactive
c) Real-Time
d) Hybrid
e) Embedded

14

1.1Understanding OS
a) Batch

A batch system is one in which jobs are

bundled together with the instructions
necessary to allow them to be
processed without intervention.

Batch processing has been associated

with mainframe computers.

15

1.1Understanding OS

bring cards to IBM 1401 machine (good at card reading)

read cards to tape
put tape on IBM 7094 which does computing
put tape on IBM 1401 which prints output offline
16

1.1Understanding OS
b) Time Sharing/Interactive

Time sharing is a logical extension of

multiprogramming.

In time sharing systems, the CPU

executes multiple jobs by switching
among them, but the switches occur so
frequently that the users can interact
with each program while it is running.

It requires an interactive computer

system providing direct communication
between user and the system
17

1.1Understanding OS
c) Real-Time

An OS that guarantees a certain

capability within a specified time
constraint.

This can be especially important in

measurement and automation systems
where downtime is costly or a program
delay could cause a safety hazard.

E.g. industrial process control systems

where each job must be completed in
18
the specified time.

1.1Understanding OS
e) Hybrid

A BlackBerry OS hybrid takes the best of the

various OS builds and puts them into a single load.

Sometimes an OS version will have a faster browser

or menu navigation, and someone capable of
building a hybrid OS can extract that app/file and
run it on a different OS base.

The average user tends to avoid hybrid builds

because theyre not official and can sometimes
lead to critical failures.

Other view of hybrid OS : A computer running the

base operating system, and one or more OSs at the
same time using a virtual machine.
19

1.1Understanding OS
e) Embedded

An embedded operating systems is OS

for embedded computer system.

These operating systems are designed to

be compact, efficient, and reliable for many
functions.

Virtually all appliances that have a digital

interface. E.g: watches, microwaves, VCRs,
cars -- utilize embedded systems.

Some embedded
operating system.

systems

include

an
20