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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. Device drivers and firmware , including computer BIOS or UEFI , provide basic functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or built ...
Systems programming, or system programming, is the activity of programming [1] computer system software.The primary distinguishing characteristic of systems programming when compared to application programming is that application programming aims to produce software which provides services to the user directly (e.g. word processor), whereas systems programming aims to produce software and ...
A software system differs from a computer program or software. While a computer program is generally a set of instructions (source, or object code) that perform a specific task, a software system is more or an encompassing concept with many more components such as specification, test results, end-user documentation, maintenance records, etc. [2]
Microsoft Corp. antitrust trial was whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser was part of its Windows operating system or a separate piece of application software. As another example, the GNU/Linux naming controversy is, in part, due to disagreement about the relationship between the Linux kernel and the operating systems built over ...
The operating system provides an interface between an application program and the computer hardware, so that an application program can interact with the hardware only by obeying rules and procedures programmed into the operating system. The operating system is also a set of services which simplify development and execution of application programs.
A utility program is designed to aid system administration and software execution. Operating systems execute hardware utility programs to check the status of disk drives, memory, speakers, and printers. [140] A utility program may optimize the placement of a file on a crowded disk. System utility programs monitor hardware and network performance.
Once compiled, the program can be saved as an object file and the loader (part of the operating system) can take this saved file and execute it as a process on the computer hardware. [59] Some programming languages use an interpreter instead of a compiler.
The primary difference between system software is that system software provides a platform for applications. The platform is the combination of the O/S and the machine on which it runs. Utilities that are bundled with the sale of an Operating system, are considered application software since they have a user programmable interface (either GUI ...