OperatingSystem

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"Operating System" refers to a low-level software that forms the operating environment of a computer. Operating System software interfaces between user-programs and actual hardware and takes care of managing and allocating resources of the physical system and may perform other tasks as well. Microsoft Windows, UNIX and Mac OS X are all examples of common general-purpose operating systems, but all computerized devices require operating systems to function and even devices such as mobile phones have simple operating systems specialized to their use cases. Even electronic coffee-makers arguably have operating systems.

The kernel is the heart of an Operating System and performs the actual low-level operations called I/O or "Input/Output". Operating systems also provide "libraries" of software functions that make the task of writing software easier or which smooth over differences and irregularities in computer hardware.

Most operating systems provide for the functioning if disk-drives and other storage and their file systems, memory, input devices such as mice and keyboards and output devices such as printers and speakers. Modules known as "drivers" are loaded into the kernel to enable support of a broad variety of devices.

Simple consumer operating systems usually provide a user-interface however powerful operating systems such as UNIX generally delegate that task to user software. There is currently dispute as to whether inclusion of a user interface into the actual operating system is good engineering. Mac OSX and Windows computers have traditionally done so but UNIX traditionally has not.

See also

• X11 a protocol for creating windowing user interfaces.
• Wikipedia:History of operating systems
• KDE A user interface running in X11 on a UNIX operating system.

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