6.1.5 - Explain the role of the operating system in terms of managing memory, peripherals and hardware interfaces.

Question 1

How does an operating system manage peripherals?

Answer 1

The OS uses drivers, which are ‘translation’ programs, to control peripheral devices like keyboards, mice, and printers, allowing the user and programs to interact with them.

Question 2

What is memory management in an operating system?

Answer 2

The OS ensures that each process runs in its allocated memory space to prevent interference, which could lead to corruption or security issues.

Question 3

How does the OS manage secondary storage?

Answer 3

The OS provides structure and access methods to secondary storage, organizing data in a folder structure or directory, while managing security access to these folders.

Question 4

What are the types of user interfaces provided by an OS?

Answer 4

The OS provides Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) like Windows or Command Line Interfaces (CLI) like Linux Terminal to interact with the computer.

Question 5

What is time slicing in an operating system?

Answer 5

In a multi-user system, time slicing allocates a set amount of processing time for each user, while in single-user systems, each program gets a set amount of time.

Question 6

What are interrupts and how does the OS handle them?

Answer 6

An interrupt is a signal indicating an event requiring immediate attention. The OS suspends current activities, runs an interrupt handler, and then resumes normal processing.

Question 7

What is virtual memory and why is it used?

Answer 7

Virtual memory allows the OS to compensate for physical memory shortages by temporarily transferring pages of data from RAM to disk storage.