The operating system is responsible for managing the overall resources and operations of a computer, by controlling access to the central processing unit (CPU) and memory of the computer, file storage, and input/output devices. It also manages tasks such as scheduling resource usage to avoid conflicts and interference among processes, managing the content and structure of files stored on non-primary media, and determining which programs get to use hardware components like disc drives or WiFi adaptors. It also provides a means for interactive users to connect to the system via either an Graphical User Interface (GUI) or a Command-Line Interface (CLI).
Process Management
Operating systems manage the starting, stopping, and re-starting of applications. It decides which program gets to execute first and how long it will utilize the CPU, and when it needs to stop. It can also divide the program into multiple threads, allowing it to run concurrently on multiple processors. Each of these actions is controlled by an operating system routine known as the process control block.
File management
Operating systems keep track of the structure image source myopendatablog.com/mastering-security-unveiling-the-magic-of-data-room-solutions/ and content of files within non-primary storage for data. They know where each bit of data in a file is stored and can move it between storage and memory when required. They can also map a virtual memory page into physical memory pages for faster access, a process called demand paging.
It also interacts with hardware on the computer using drivers and other interfacing software. For instance, if an application wants to utilize a particular piece of hardware, such as an adaptor for Wi-Fi and the operating system is able to provide the driver, and let the application access it. This is accomplished without the programmer having to write an entirely new piece of code for each Wi-Fi adaptor, disk drive, or another kind of hardware.
