Chapter 8 - Operating Systems & Utility Programs

System Software

What is software?

° The series of computer-language coded instructions that tells the computer how to perform tasks

° Two types of
software

What is system software?

° Consists of the programs that control the operations of the computer and its devices

° Serves as the interface between the user, the application software, and the computer's hardware

° Two types are operating systems and utility programs

Operating Systems

What is an operating system (OS)?

° A set of programs containing instructions that coordinate all the activities among computer hardware resources

° Required for a computer to work

° Sometimes called the software platform or platform

What are the functions of an operating system?

Where is the operating system located?

° Resides on computer’s hard disk in most cases

° May reside on a ROM chip on handheld computers

What is a cross-platform application?

° One that runs identically on multiple operating systems

° Often has multiple versions, each corresponding to a different operating system

Operating System Functions

What is booting?

° The process of starting or restarting a computer

What is the kernel?

° The core of an operating system

• Manages memory and devices

• Maintains the computer’s clocks

• Starts applications

• Assigns the computer’s resources, such as devices, programs, data, and information

° Each time you boot a computer, the kernel and other frequently used operating system instructions are loaded

• Loading a file means the file is copied from the hard disk to the computer's memory

What messages display on the screen when you boot the computer?

How does a personal computer boot up?

What is a boot drive?

° The drive from which your personal computer boots (starts)

° In most cases, drive C
(the hard disk) is the boot drive

What is an emergency repair disk?

° A floppy disk, Zip^® disk, or CD-ROM that contains system files that will start the computer

° Used when a hard disk becomes damaged and the computer cannot boot

° Also called a boot disk
or a rescue disk

° To create a boot disk:

What is a user interface?

° Controls how you enter data and instructions and how information displays on the screen

What are features of a graphical user interface?

° Menu: a set of commands from which you can choose

° Icon: a small image that represents a program, an instruction, a file, or some other object

° Web pages can be delivered or pushed automatically to your screen

How does an operating system manage programs?

° Operating systems vary in capabilities

• Number of users

• Number of programs running at the same time

• Number of processors

° Management of programs directly affects user productivity

What is multitasking?

° Allows a single user to work on two or more applications that reside in memory at the same time

What are other program management features of operating systems?

What is memory management?

° Optimizes the use of random access memory (RAM)

What is virtual memory (VM) management?

° The operating system allocates a portion of a storage medium, usually the hard disk, to function as additional RAM

What are some virtual memory terms?

How does an operating system schedule jobs?

° Adjusts the schedule of jobs based on their priority

° A buffer is an area of memory or storage in which items are placed while waiting to be transferred to or from an input or output device

What is spooling?

° Print jobs are sent to a buffer instead of sending them immediately to the printer

° Multiple print jobs line up in a queue within the buffer

° A program,
called a print
spooler,
intercepts
print jobs
from the
operating
system and
places them
in the queue

What is a device driver?

° A small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a device

° Also called a driver

° Each device on a computer requires its
own specific driver

How do you install a device driver?

What is Plug and Play?

° The computer can recognize a new device and assist you in its installation by loading the necessary drivers automatically and checking for conflicts with other devices

° Supported by most
devices and operating
systems today

What is an interrupt request (IRQ)?

° A communications line between a device and the processor

° Most computers have 16 IRQs, numbered 0 through 15

How does the operating system help access the Web?

° Typically provides a means to establish Web connections

° Some include a Web browser and an e-mail program

How does an operating system monitor performance?

° Provides a program, called a performance monitor, that assesses and reports information about various system resources
and
devices

How does an operating system manage files?

° Contains a program called a file manager

° Performs
functions
related to
storage and
file
management

What are some file manager functions?

What is formatting?

° The process of preparing a disk for reading and writing

° Most floppy and hard disk manufacturers preformat their disks

° Various operating systems format disks differently

What is a file allocation table (FAT)?

° A table of information that the operating system uses to locate files on a disk

° Defined during the formatting process

° Lists all files, file types, and locations

° Reformatting a disk usually erases only the file allocation table and leaves the actual files on the disk

What is a network operating system?

° An operating system that supports a network

° Also called a network OS or NOS

What are features of a network operating system?

° The server is the computer that controls access to the network and provides a centralized storage area

° The other computers on the network are called clients

How do operating systems administer security?

° Most multiuser operating systems allow each user to log on

How does a network administrator use the network OS?

° To establish permissions to resources

° To define who can access certain resources

° To define when they can access those resources

° To assign passwords to files and commands to restrict access to only authorized users

Types of Operating Systems

What are some characteristics of operating systems?

What are three categories of operating systems?

Stand-Alone Operating Systems

What is a stand-alone operating system?

° A complete operating system that works on a desktop or notebook computer

° Some, called client operating systems, also work in conjunction with a network operating system

What is DOS (Disk Operating System)?

° Refers to several single user operating systems developed in the early 1980s for personal computers

° Two more widely used versions were PC-DOS and MS-DOS, both developed by Microsoft

What is Windows?

° Developed by Microsoft to meet the need for an operating system that had a GUI

What are features of Windows 98?

° Upgrade to Windows 95

° More integrated with the Internet than Windows 95

° Included Internet Explorer, a popular Web browser

° The file manager, Windows Explorer, had a Web browser look and feel

° An Active Desktop™ interface allowing icons and file names to work similar to Web links

What is Windows 2000 Professional?

° Upgrade to the Windows NT Workstation operating system

° Complete multitasking client operating system that has a GUI

What are features of most Windows operating systems?

What is Windows Millennium Edition (Me)?

° An operating system that has features specifically for the home user

° Also called Windows Me

° Includes multimedia features

What is Mac OS?

° A multitasking operating system available only for computers manufactured by Apple

What is OS/2 Warp?

° IBM’s GUI multitasking client operating system

Company on the Cutting Edge

Apple Computer, Inc.

° Formed by Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak in 1976

° Began with the Apple I circuit board developed in Jobs’ garage

° The Apple II product line generated more than $1 billion in annual sales from 1977 until 1993

° The current high-performance Power Macintosh line was introduced in 1994, followed by the iBook, the PowerMac G4, and the Mac OS X

Network Operating Systems

What is a network operating system?

° An operating system that supports a network

° Typically resides on a server

° Client computers on the network rely on the server(s) for resources

What is Novell’s Netware?

° A widely used network operating system designed for client/server networks

° Has a server portion that resides on the network server and a client portion that resides on each client computer connected to the network

What is Windows 2000 Server?

° Family of three products

• Windows 2000 Server: operating system for the typical business network

• Windows 2000 Advanced Server: designed for e-commerce applications

• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server: best for demanding, large-scale applications such as data warehousing

What is OS/2 Warp Server for E-business?

° IBM’s network operating system

° Designed for all sizes of business

° Includes Netscape as its Web browser and e-mail program

What is UNIX?

° A multitasking operating system developed in the early 1970s by scientists at Bell Laboratories

° Lacks interoperability across multiple platforms

What is Linux?

° A popular, free, multitasking UNIX-type operating system

Product on the Cutting Edge

° Operating system created by Linus Torvalds

° A free program offered as alternative to Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS

° Linux’ GNU General Public License allows anyone to obtain and modify the source code and then redistribute the revised product

° A large, friendly community of users distribute the operating system and provide an extensive number of user groups, mailing lists, newsletters, and forums

Technology Trailblazer

Linus Torvalds

° Creator and lead technical developer of the free operating system Linux

° A native of Finland

° Credits the high level of technology and superior educational system of Finland for giving him the advantages of being able to concentrate on his brainstorm instead of worrying about economic issues

Network Operating Systems

What is Solaris™?

° A version of UNIX

° Developed by Sun Microsystems

° A network operating system designed specifically for e-commerce applications

° Can manage high-traffic accounts

° Incorporates security necessary for Web transactions

° Client computers use a version called CDE (Common Desktop Environment)

Embedded Operating Systems

What is an embedded operating system?

° The operating system on most handheld computers and small devices

° Resides on a ROM chip

What is Windows CE?

° A scaled down Windows operating system designed for use on wireless communications devices and smaller computers

• Handheld computers

• In-vehicle devices

• Web-enabled devices

What is an Auto PC?

° A device mounted onto a vehicle’s dashboard that is powered by Windows CE

° Directed through voice commands

° Provides information to the driver such as driving directions, traffic conditions, weather, and stock quotes, and allows the driver to access and listen to e-mail

° Acts as a radio or an audio CD

° Shares
information
with a
handheld or
notebook
computer

What is Pocket PC OS^®?

° A scaled-down operating system developed by Microsoft

° Works on a specific type of handheld computer, called a Pocket PC

° Allows access to all the basic PIM functions

° Provides Web access

° Supports handwriting recognition

° Allows document creation

What is Palm OS?

° Used in handheld computers

• Palm from Palm, Inc.

^• Visor from Handspring^®

° Manages data and synchronizes this information with a desktop computer

° Some access the Internet

Utility Programs

What is a utility program?

° A type of system software that performs a specific task

° Usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs

° Also called a utility

° Most operating systems include several utility programs

° You can also buy stand-alone utilities

What is a file viewer?

° Allows you to display and copy the contents of a file

° Windows Explorer has a viewer called Imaging Preview

What is a file compression utility?

° Shrinks the size of a file

° Compressed files

• Take up less storage space than the original files

• Sometimes called zipped files

• Usually have a .zip extension

° You must uncompress a compressed file to use it

^° Two popular utilities are PKZIP™ and WinZip^®

What is a diagnostic
utility?

° Compiles technical information about your computer's hardware and certain system software programs

° Prepares a report outlining any identified problems

° Windows includes the utility Dr. Watson

What is an uninstaller?

° Removes an application, as well as any associated entries in the system files

What is a disk scanner?

° Detects and corrects both physical and logical problems on a hard disk or floppy disk

• A physical problem is one with the media

• A logical problem is one with the data

° Searches for and removes unnecessary files

° Windows includes two disk scanners

What is a disk defragmenter?

° A utility that reorganizes the files and unused space on a computer's hard disk

° Allows the operating system to access data more
quickly and
programs to run
faster

What is a backup utility?

° Allows you to copy, or backup, selected files on your entire hard disk onto another disk or tape

° Backup utility monitors progress of the backup process

What is a screen saver?

° Causes a monitor's screen to display a moving image or blank screen if no keyboard or mouse activity occurs for a specified time period

° Developed to prevent ghosting, in which images could be permanently etched on a monitor’s screen; no longer a problem for modern monitors

Technology Trailblazer

Phillip Katz

° Developed PKZIP, a data compression utility

° His innovative PKZIP shareware cornered the data compression market

° PKWARE has steady annual sales of $5 million

Summary of Operating Systems and Utility Programs

° System software

° Operating systems

° Operating system functions

° Types of operating systems

° Stand-alone operating systems

° Network operating systems

° Embedded operating systems

° Utility programs

Chapter 8 Complete