1.5 Systems software Flashcards
What are operating systems?
They manage hardware and run software.
What are the main functions of an operating system?
-Peripheral management and device drivers.
-Provide a user interface.
-Provide a platform.
-Memory management and multitasking.
-File management.
-User management.
Why do operating systems use device driver software?
To communicate with internal hardware or peripherals connected to the computer system.
What are device drivers?
Required by every piece of hardware connected to the computer system and acts as translator for the signals between OS and hardware.
How does a device driver work?
- When a computer is booted up, the OS will choose the correct device drivers for the hardware it detects.
- If new hardware is connected to the computer, the system will install the new matching driver.
What is a user interface?
Allows the user to interact with a computer system.
What are the features of a user interface?
-Graphical User Interface.
-Command-line interface.
What is a GUI (Graphical User Interface)?
Designed to make the user interface easy for everyday users by making them visual, interactive and intuitive.
What specific input methods have GUI systems been optimised for?
-Windows.
-Icons.
-Menus.
-Pointers.
What is a command-line interface?
-Text-based interface where the user enters specific commands to complete tasks.
-Not suitable for everyday users but more efficient and powerful than a GUI for advanced users.
Why do operating systems provide a platform?
To run different applications.
What is a multi-tasking OS?
An operating system that can run multiple applications at the same time.
What is memory management?
-Allocates certain applications certain memory addresses to ensure their processes are placed into separate locations.
-This allows the OS to ensure that the applications don’t overwrite / interfere with each other so that the OS can run multiple applications.
What are peripherals?
Hardware devices connected to a computer like a printer.
What are the functions of user management?
-Create / delete individual users.
-Gives access levels to users like administrator rights / standard user rights.
-Auditing files a user creates / accesses / edits / deletes.
What is the difference between single-user and multi-user operating systems?
Single-user operating systems only allow 1 user to use the computer at once whereas multi-user allows several users to use the computer at the same time.
What are the functions of file management?
-Create, modify, and delete files and folders.
-Copy and duplicate files and folders.
-Move files and folders.
-Rename files and folders.
-Sort items into different orders like by name.
-Search for files and folders.
-Set access rights to files like read only / edit.
What is utility systems software?
-Helps to maintain / configure a computer.
-Most utilities are already installed within an operating system however extra software can be installed to perform additional tasks.
What are examples of utility system software?
-Encryption software.
-Defragmentation
-Data compression.
Why is encryption software required?
Scrambles data to stop third-parties from accessing it and this ensures that intercepted / stolen data is still secure as only the intended readers can unscramble and understand the data with a special key.
How is data decrypted using a key?
A computer uses the key and a set of instructions to turn the data back into its original form.
Why is compression software required?
Reduces file size by permanently / temporarily removing data from them so that files take up less disc space and are quicker to download.
Why is defragmentation software required?
Helps prevent further fragmentation by moving files to collect all the free space together and reorganises data on the hard drive to put fragmented files back together.
Where are files stored?
On a hard disc in available spaces and ideal for entire files to be stored together.
What is fragmentation?
-Lots of small gaps begin to appear on the hard disc when files are moved, deleted and change size.
-This makes reading and writing files slower as the read/write head has to move back and forth across the disc.
