1.5 Flashcards
1
Q
What is systems software?
A
- Collection of software systems that manage the computer
- Usually supplied with the computer
2
Q
What is the purpose of systems software?
A
- Provides a platform to run programs
- Provides an interface for user to interact with it
- Maintain computer system
3
Q
What are the two types of systems software?
A
- Operating system
- Utility software
4
Q
What is the purpose of operating systems (OS)?
A
- Provides a platform on which users can run programs
- e.g. MacOS, iOS, Windows
5
Q
What components make up the operating system?
A
- User interface
- Memory management
- Peripheral management
- File management
- User management
6
Q
What is the user interface?
A
- Allows the user and the computer system to interact
- Manages the use of input devices and software
7
Q
What are the four user interfaces?
A
- Graphical (GUI)
- Command line
- Menu driven
- Natural language
8
Q
What is graphical user interface (GUI)?
A
- Windows, icons, menus, pointers (WIMP)
- Visual
- Interactive
- Intuitive
- Optimised for mouse and touch gesture input
9
Q
What is command line interface?
A
- Text based
- Less resource heavy
- More commands
- Efficient
- For advanced users, used by network administrators
- Useful for automating processes with scripts
10
Q
What is menu interface?
A
- Successive menus presented to the user
- Single options chosen at each stage
- Often with buttons on a keypad
11
Q
What is natural language interface?
A
- Responds to questions in spoken language
- Not always reliable because still developing
12
Q
What is multitasking?
A
- Running multiple applications at the same time by giving each application a small time-slice of processor time
- Allows more than one program held in memory at once
13
Q
What is memory management?
A
- When programs are loaded, OS keeps a record of where each program and its data are located
- Virtual memory is used if RAM is full
- Transfers instructions and data into memory when needed and to the hard disk when not
14
Q
What are device drivers?
A
- Translates OS instructions into commands that the hardware will understand
- Each peripheral needs own device driver
15
Q
What is peripheral management?
A
- The OS deals with input/output to and from any connected peripheral devices
16
Q
What is user management?
A
- Allowing different users to log into the same computer
- OS retains settings (e.g. backgrounds/icons, access rights)
- Client server network may impose a fixed/roaming profile for a user
17
Q
What is file management?
A
- Extension to filename tells the OS which application to load the file into
- Presents a logical structure of files by using folders
- Allows user to read, write, rename, duplicate, delete files
- Facilitates access permissions for files (view/edit)
18
Q
What is the purpose of utility software?
A
- To perform housekeeping/maintenance tasks
- e.g. file backup, virus checking, compression program
19
Q
What is encryption utilities?
A
- Turns plaintext into unreadable ciphertext using a key
- Text can only be decrypted with a master key
- Protects data from being read by hackers
20
Q
What is defragmentation utilities?
A
- Rearranges parts of files and frees up contiguous space
- Reduces the movement of a R/W head across the surface of the disk, speeds up file access
21
Q
How do files become fragmeneted?
A
- Different sized files saved on disks are deleted over time, creating gaps
- New files fill up the gaps but some may need more space than the gaps provides, resulting in fragments of files
22
Q
What is data compression utilities?
A
- Reduce the size of a file
- Takes up less space
- Quicker to download over the Internet
- Compressed files must be extracted before read
- Lossy/lossless
