4.4: software Flashcards
Operating systems
- manages interactions between msoftware and hardware
- takes responsibility for a range of functions including managing processor time, memory management, inputs/outputs, and security
most popular operating systems
- Microsoft Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Google Android
role of operating system
allows applications to interact with the hardware on a computer
basic functions of operating system
- Processor management
- Inputs, outputs, and interrupts
- Memory management
- Security
task you can perform on files and folders
- Creating
- Renaming
- Moving
- Deleting
file management
operating system controls how data is stored and retrieved and
keeps track where files are stored on the secondarty storage device
Backing storage management
- refers to any Non-volatile memory storage device
- operating system keeps a directory of where files and programs are stored so that they can be accessed quickly when they are requested and transferred into main memory
single processor core
can only carry out 1 process at a time
multi tasking
- allows a computer to perform more than 1 task at a time
- multiple cores make multi tasking more efficient
device drivers
- a program that controls the operation of a specific type of device that is part of a computer system
- a device driver provides an interface that allows the operating system to interact with the device
user interfaces
allow the user to interact with the computer, an operating system provides a user interface (UI)
what does CLI stand for
command line interface
command line interface
- allows the user to interact with the system by typing in specific commands
- the user enters in text at a command prompt
benefit of CLI
- requires a low amount of secondary storage and RAM as there are no graphics
- allows a greater control over the computer system
what does GUI stand for
graphical user interface
graphical user interface (GUI)
- most common form of operating system
- what you see on your laptop
what is GUI made up of
- Windows
- Icons
- Menus
- Pointers (mouse clicks or screen presses)
advantages of GUI
- user friendly as they are visual and intuitive to use
- no need to learn specific command terms
disadvantages of GUI
requirement for higher capacity of secondary storage and RAM
3 areas of utility software
- basic tools
- file management
- security
utility software
- sometimes called tools
- Utility software is software that does a useful job for the user
- not essential to the operating system
basic tools
- Basic tools include things like a simple text editor (notepad), calculator, command prompt
- usually included as part of the operating system
file management tools
includes:
* software to keep your data secure by making a back-up copy of your files in another location
* converting files between different formats
* defragmenter which is used to speed up access to data stored on magnetic hard disk drives
* compress files you don’t use very often
security tools
- anti malware programs such as antivirus and anti-spyware software
- firewall which controls connection to a network
- encryption software which makes files unreadable without a password
simulation and modeling
Computer science allows us to do experiments that can’t be done in the real world.
problems with simulation and modeling
- The model or simulation includes assumptions so it might be wrong
- The real world is too complicated to allow for every possible factor in your model so you have to use abstraction to simplify it
system software
- the interface between application software and system
- Low-level languages are used to write it
- maintains the system resources and gives the path for application software to run.
- needed for system to run
- it is a general-purpose software.
application software
- type of software that runs as per user request
- It runs on the platform which is provided by system software.
- High-level languages are used to write it
- It’s a specific purpose software.
