5. Computer Software Flashcards
____ software consists of the programs that perform tasks specific to the machine’s general purpose.
Application
____ software performs tasks that are common to computer systems in general.
System
System software can be divided into ____ and ____.
utility software, operating systems
An ____ is software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. It performs all the basic tasks like file management, memory management, process management, handling input and output, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers
Operating System (OS)
What are the four main categories of OS?
- Network operating systems
- Server operating systems
- Mobile operating systems
- Personal computer operating systems
____ is a closed-source OS and maintains the largest market share for server and personal computer operating systems.
Windows
____ is a closed-source OS and is designed to only run on Apple hardware. It is known for its media editing and graphic rendering capabilities and it’s ability to integrate with other Apple products.
MacOS
____ is open-source OS software. Many distributions of this OS are designed for servers.
Linux
The different versions or distributions of Linux are known as ____.
flavors (e.g., Linux Mint, Mandrake, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS)
____ is an open-source mobile OS which allows original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to customize the source code to fit their devices. Currently has the largest user base.
Google Android
What are three examples of utility software?
Software that can:
- Compress or decompress data
- Play multimedia presentations
- Handle network communications
The ____ is the internal part of the OS. It contains the OS components that perform the basic functions required by the computer installation.
kernel
What is an example of an OS kernel component?
The file manager, which maintains records of all the files stored in secondary storage, including where each file is stored, which users have access, and which portions of the storage are available for new files.
Operating systems contain the ____ and the ____ of the operating system
user interface, kernel
____ is the mobile OS developed by Apple for use on proprietary Apple hardware.
Apple iOS
What are two different types of user interface?
- Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Command Line Interface (CLI)
____ are able to bundle files into directories or folders.
File managers
The ____ tells a user where the file is located within the file system.
directory path
In a Windows shell, a(n) ___ is used to express directory paths.
backward slash (“\”)
Which OS, Windows or Linux, is case-sensitive when searching for files?
Linux
In a Windows shell, the root directory is referred to by a(n) ____, commonly called the ____ drive.
letter, C
In a Windows shell, the user’s home directory is found within ____.
C:\Users
In a Linux shell, a(n) ____ is used to express directory paths.
forward slash (/)
The root directory in Linux is expressed as a(n) ____.
single forward slash
Most flavors of Linux place the home directory at ____.
/home/
A component of the kernel, the ____ finds and assigns the main memory space for each of the processes and restrict the actions of each process to the memory space allocated to that program.
memory manager
When more main memory space is needed, the memory manager can create an illusion of additional space by rotating programs and data between the primary and secondary memory, a technique called ____. The additional memory space created in secondary memory by paging is referred to as ____.
paging, virtual memory
These are stored in the kernel of an OS and are software that communicates with controllers or other peripheral devices.
Device drivers
Device drivers are sometimes referred to as ____. They facilitate the communication between hardware and software.
middleware
Software that people use to complete daily tasks is called ____ software.
productivity (e.g., writing documents, managing personal info, giving presentations, storing data)
____ software helps people communicate and work with one another and helps computers share information.
Collaboration
____ software performs tasks for particular purposes.
Specialized
What are the three classifications of application software, based on how customizable it is?
- Bespoke
- Off-the-shelf
- Hybrid
____ applications are application software stored on individual computers. ____ applications are software units where cloud-based and local components work together to perform tasks.
Local, Cloud
____ is an application that can be installed as a trial limited by time and/or functionality. If the user decides to purchase the application or subscription, they then get the full functionality.
Shareware
____ is software that does not need to be purchased.
Freeware
Freeware and shareware are both protected by ____and ____.
end user license agreements (EULA), copyright laws (where applicable)
____ software has no EULA and no intellectual property protections and is available for anyone to download and use at their own discretion.
Public domain
In the United States, a copyright gives the author of a software package the ability to prevent unauthorized duplication for at least ____ years.
35
Generally, ____ protects the expression of a specific idea and original works of authorship. ____ in software packaging, on the other hand, primarily protect unique methods, algorithms, or processes embedded within software applications.
copyright, patents
What are the two types of hardware patents?
- Utility patents
- Design patents
The high-level language that computer programs are written in is also known as ____ code.
source
Binary code is also referred to as ____ code or ____ language.
machine
What are the two main translation solutions computer scientists have come up with to translate source code to machine code?
Compilers and interpreters
A ____ checks source code for errors before translating. If the source code is found to have errors, it specifies the errors.
compiler
What are six high-level languages that use a compiler?
Java, C, C++, C#, Go/GoLang, Visual Basic .Net
____ translate and execute source code into machine language one line at a time. If it finds an error, the process is terminated at the statement containing the error and displays an error message.
Interpreters
What are four examples of interpreted languages?
Python, PHP, JavaScript, Ruby, Perl, TCL
A(n) ____ is a set of well-organized, computer-implemented instructions that often result in a computation or the solution to a problem.
algorithm
