Chapter 4: System Software

The Power Behind the Computer

Classifications of Systems Software Operating System Utility Programs Language Translators

Operating System

Master System of programs used to manage the computer.– Resource Management– User Interface

Components– Kernel/Monitor/supervisor/resident portion– Non-resident portion/– Device Drivers

Operating System Tasks

Booting Managing Storage Media User Interface

– CLI– Menu – GUI

O/S Tasks (continued)

Resource Management– Time– Memory– Storage

File management Task management

Task Management

Multiprogramming Multiprocessing Multitasking Time-sharing

File Management

Copy files Move files System/file backup Rename files Erase files

Common Operating Systems

PC* Operating Systems– Macintosh OS– OS/2– Microsoft OS’s

• DOS• Windows 3.x• Windows 9x (Me)• Windows NT/2000

– Novell Netware

Common OSs (Continued

Unix– BSD– ATT System V– Linux (PC)– FreeBSD family (PC and others)

VMS (DEC Vax computers) VM (IBM Mainframe) Palm

Operating Environment

A “Shell” added to an OS to give a particular user interface.

Examples– Windows 3.x over DOS– Workplace Shell for OS/2– X – a windowing environment for many

OSs especially various versions of Unix

Utility Programs

Enhance existing functions or provide services not provided by the O/S

Examples– Data recovery– Backup – Anti-virus– Disk repair– Compression

Language Translators

Programs used to translate Source programs into Machine programs.