The operating system is the most important program that runs on a computer.

Ever
y general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs a
nd applications. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing inpu
t from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of file
s and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk d
rives and printers.
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and s
oftware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operat
ing system is a component of the system software in a computer system. Applicati
on programs usually require an operating system to function
System software (systems software) is computer software designed to provide serv
ices to other software.[1] Examples of system software include operating systems
, computational science software, game engines, industrial automation, and softw
are as a service applications.[2]
Mobile operating system is an operating system which isused in mobile devices. Th
is operating system arebasically a light weight operating system which requiredlow
space and memory.
Scheduling
The task of handling how active processes are making efficient use of the CPU pr
ocessing cycles is called scheduling. There are many ways of doing this, which i
s covered in another mini-website.
Memory Management
The operating system has to make sure that applications are able to run in the a
mount of memory available and that they do not interfere with one another. There
is a separate mini-website on this topic.
Allocation of resources
The operating system will provide a working area for each user. This includes
Disk space quota for their files ( especially on shared network drives)
A personal GUI set up for each user (multi-user operating systems)
Perhaps how many processing cycles they are allowed to use (especially on mainfr
ame)
How much printer output they are allowed (networked and mainframe)
How high a priority they can assign to a job (mainframe
Keeping track of usage
The cost of using large computers is shared amongst the users. So the operating
system will have an accounting / tracking system in place that :
Counts the processing cycles used per user
Print out jobs completed
Batch jobs completed
Time spent logged in
Other resources used
And so on. A regular bill is then sent to the user account providing an itemised
charge.
Data and User security
Each user has to be authenticated with an username and password (network and mul
ti-user operating system).
Their data and files will be kept private from other users, unless they choose t

o make some shareable with others. The operating system will only allow administ
rators ('super users') to change parts of the operating system and install appli
cations.
Providing system services such as print spooling
Printing out is a time consuming process, so it makes sense to allow users to ha
nd-off a print job to the operating system so they can get on with other things.
This is called 'print spooling' and is common on multi-user and networked opera
ting systems.
Managing input / output
Data and applications are stored on secondary storage devices such as hard disks
, optical drives, magnetic tape when not in use. The operating system has a file
management system that allows the user to organise their files, to move, delete
and copy files as they wish.
Specialised input devices such as graphics tablets and scanners are also handled
by the operating system.
Handling Network communication
Data packets traveling to and from the connected computers on the network are ha
ndled by the operating system. When an user drags a file from their hard disk to
a shared networked drive, they do not care how it happens - the operating syste
m takes care of all the details.
User Interface
Here is another feature of an operating system: its user interface. An operating
system's user interface determines how the user interacts with the computer. Th
e two most common forms of a user interface are the Command Line Interface (CLI)
and the Graphical User Interface (GUI). A CLI provide a prompt at which command
s can be given line-by-line. This kind of interface is usually implemented with
a program called a command line shell, which accepts commands as text input and
converts them to the appropriate operating system functions. CLIs can be quite p
owerful for experienced users, but if one does not know the system well enough,
they can become quite lost. Examples of CLIs are the UNIX shells and the Windows
Command Prompt.
In contrast, a GUI provides a visual environment where a device (such as a mouse
) is used to navigate the system and perform tasks. Unlike CLIs where performing
a task can become slow and error-prone (such as when very long commands are to
be entered), GUIs present the user with widgets that trigger some of the operati
ng system's commands, reducing complexity and the need to memorize command names
and their parameters. For many users, a GUI present a more accessible user inte
rface; however, the choice of a user interface is simply a matter of personal pr
eference. Examples of GUIs are those implemented in Microsoft Windows, Apple's M
ac OS X, and GNOME/KDE for the X Windows system on Unix-like operating systems.
Androidis anoperating systembased on theLinux kernel,and designed primarily for touch
screenmobile devices such as smartphonesandtablet computers. Initially developed by
Android, Inc., whichGooglebacked financially and later bought in 2005,Android was
unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of theOpen Handset Alliance