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An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and other ...
History of computing. more timelines ... Computer operating systems (OSes) provide a set of functions needed and used by most application programs on a computer, and the links needed to control and synchronize computer hardware. On the first computers, with no operating system, every program needed the full hardware specification to run ...
Kernel (operating system) The kernel is a computer program at the core of a computer 's operating system and generally has complete control over everything in the system. The kernel is also responsible for preventing and mitigating conflicts between different processes. [1] It is the portion of the operating system code that is always resident ...
The most common set of requirements defined by any operating system or software application is the physical computer resources, also known as hardware, A hardware requirements list is often accompanied by a hardware compatibility list (HCL), especially in case of operating systems.
It provides a platform (hardware abstraction layer) to run high-level system software and application software. A kernel is the core part of the operating system that defines an application programming interface for applications programs (including some system software) and an interface to device drivers.
In computing, a shell is a computer program that exposes an operating system 's services to a human user or other programs. In general, operating system shells use either a command-line interface (CLI) or graphical user interface (GUI), depending on a computer's role and particular operation. It is named a shell because it is the outermost ...
EOS – developed by ETA Systems for use in their ETA-10 line of supercomputers. EMBOS – developed by Elxsi for use on their mini-supercomputers. GCOS – a proprietary operating system originally developed by General Electric. MAI Basic Four – An OS implementing Business Basic from MAI Systems.
In Windows NT, the booting process is initiated by NTLDR in versions before Vista and the Windows Boot Manager in Vista and later. [4] The boot loader is responsible for accessing the file system on the boot drive, starting ntoskrnl.exe, and loading boot-time device drivers into memory. Once all the boot and system drivers have been loaded, the ...