Chapter 1

Question 1

An ________ _____ is a program that manages a computer’s hardware. It
also provides a basis for application programs and acts as an intermediary
between the computer user and the computer hardware. An amazing aspect of
operating systems is how they vary in accomplishing these tasks. Mainframe
operating systems are designed primarily to optimize utilization of hardware.
Personal computer (PC) operating systems support complex games, business
applications, and everything in between. Operating systems for mobile computers provide an environment in which a user can easily interface with the
computer to execute programs. Thus, some operating systems are designed to
be convenient, others to be efficient, and others to be some combination of the
two.

Answer 1

An operating system is a program that manages a computer’s hardware. It
also provides a basis for application programs and acts as an intermediary
between the computer user and the computer hardware. An amazing aspect of
operating systems is how they vary in accomplishing these tasks. Mainframe
operating systems are designed primarily to optimize utilization of hardware.
Personal computer (PC) operating systems support complex games, business
applications, and everything in between. Operating systems for mobile computers provide an environment in which a user can easily interface with the
computer to execute programs. Thus, some operating systems are designed to
be convenient, others to be efficient, and others to be some combination of the
two.

Question 2

The _______—the _______ _______ ___(___), the ______, and the
____/___(/) _____—provides the basic computing resources for the
system.

Answer 2

The hardware—the central processing unit (CPU), the memory, and the
input/output (I/O) devices—provides the basic computing resources for the
system.

Question 3

The ______ _____—such as word processors, spreadsheets,
compilers, and Web browsers—define the ways in which these resources are
used to solve users’ computing problems.

Answer 3

The application programs—such as word processors, spreadsheets,
compilers, and Web browsers—define the ways in which these resources are
used to solve users’ computing problems.

Question 4

In this case, the operating system is designed mostly
for ____ __ ____, with some attention paid to performance and none paid
to ______ ______—how various hardware and software resources are
shared.

Answer 4

In this case, the operating system is designed mostly
for ease of use, with some attention paid to performance and none paid
to resource utilization—how various hardware and software resources are
shared.

Question 5

In other cases, a user sits at a terminal connected to a _______ or a
________.

Answer 5

In other cases, a user sits at a terminal connected to a mainframe or a
minicomputer.

Question 6

In still other cases, users sit at ________ connected to networks of
other ______ and ______.

Answer 6

In still other cases, users sit at workstations connected to networks of
other workstations and servers.

Question 7

From the computer’s point of view, the operating system is the program
most intimately involved with the hardware. In this context, we can view
an operating system as a _______ _______.

Answer 7

From the computer’s point of view, the operating system is the program
most intimately involved with the hardware. In this context, we can view
an operating system as a resource allocator.

Question 8

A ______ _______ manages the execution of user programs

to prevent errors and improper use of the computer.

Answer 8

A control program manages the execution of user programs

to prevent errors and improper use of the computer.

Question 9

Those early
computers evolved into general-purpose, multifunction mainframes, and
that’s when operating systems were born. In the 1960s, _____ ___ predicted
that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every
eighteen months, and that prediction has held true. Computers gained in
functionality and shrunk in size, leading to a vast number of uses and a vast
number and variety of operating systems.

Answer 9

Those early
computers evolved into general-purpose, multifunction mainframes, and
that’s when operating systems were born. In the 1960s, Moore’s Law predicted
that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every
eighteen months, and that prediction has held true. Computers gained in
functionality and shrunk in size, leading to a vast number of uses and a vast
number and variety of operating systems.

Question 10

. A more common
definition, and the one that we usually follow, is that the operating system
is the one program running at all times on the computer—usually called the _____

Answer 10

. A more common
definition, and the one that we usually follow, is that the operating system
is the one program running at all times on the computer—usually called
the kernel

Question 11

(Along with the kernel, there are two other types of programs:
_______ _____, which are associated with the operating system but are not
necessarily part of the kernel, and application programs, which include all
programs not associated with the operation of the system

Answer 11

(Along with the kernel, there are two other types of programs:
system programs, which are associated with the operating system but are not
necessarily part of the kernel, and application programs, which include all
programs not associated with the operation of the system

Question 12

Mobile operating systems often include not only a core kernel
but also ______—a set of software frameworks that provide additional
services to application developers

Answer 12

Mobile operating systems often include not only a core kernel
but also middleware—a set of software frameworks that provide additional
services to application developers

Question 13

For a computer to start running—for instance, when it is powered up or
rebooted—it needs to have an initial program to run. This initial program,
or _______ _______, tends to be simple.

Answer 13

For a computer to start running—for instance, when it is powered up or
rebooted—it needs to have an initial program to run. This initial program,
or bootstrap program, tends to be simple.

Question 14

Typically, it is stored within
the computer hardware in read-only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable
programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), known by the general term
_____

Answer 14

Typically, it is stored within
the computer hardware in read-only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable
programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), known by the general term
firmware

Question 15

Once the kernel is loaded and executing, it can start providing services to
the system and its users. Some services are provided outside of the kernel, by
system programs that are loaded into memory at boot time to become ______ ______, or ______ ______ that run the entire time the kernel is running.
On UNIX, the first system process is “init,” and it starts many other daemons.
Once this phase is complete, the system is fully booted, and the system waits
for some event to occur.

Answer 15

Once the kernel is loaded and executing, it can start providing services to
the system and its users. Some services are provided outside of the kernel, by
system programs that are loaded into memory at boot time to become system
processes, or system daemons that run the entire time the kernel is running.
On UNIX, the first system process is “init,” and it starts many other daemons.
Once this phase is complete, the system is fully booted, and the system waits
for some event to occur.

Question 16

The occurrence of an event is usually signaled by an _______ from either
the hardware or the software.

Answer 16

The occurrence of an event is usually signaled by an interrupt from either
the hardware or the software.

Question 17

Software
may trigger an interrupt by executing a special operation called a _____ ___
(also called a _____ ____)

Answer 17

Software
may trigger an interrupt by executing a special operation called a system call
(also called a monitor call)

Question 18

This array, or ______ _____, of addresses is then indexed by a unique device number, given with
the interrupt request, to provide the address of the interrupt service routine for the interrupting device.

Answer 18

This array, or interrupt
vector, of addresses is then indexed by a unique device number, given with
the interrupt request, to provide the address of the interrupt service routine for the interrupting device.

Question 19

General-purpose computers run most of their programs from
rewritable memory, called main memory (also called _____-______ _____,
or ___).

Answer 19

General-purpose computers run most of their programs from
rewritable memory, called main memory (also called random-access memory,
or RAM).

Question 20

Main memory commonly is implemented in a semiconductor

technology called _____ _____-_____ _____(____).

Answer 20

Main memory commonly is implemented in a semiconductor

technology called dynamic random-access memory (DRAM).

Question 21

A typical instruction–execution cycle, as executed on a system with a ___ ________ ________, first fetches an instruction from memory and stores
that instruction in the ______ ______.

Answer 21

A typical instruction–execution cycle, as executed on a system with a von
Neumann architecture, first fetches an instruction from memory and stores
that instruction in the instruction register

Question 22

Main memory is a _____ storage device that loses its contents when
power is turned off or otherwise lost.

Answer 22

Main memory is a volatile storage device that loses its contents when
power is turned off or otherwise lost.

Question 23

Thus, most computer systems provide _______ _______ as an extension of
main memory.

Answer 23

Thus, most computer systems provide secondary storage as an extension of
main memory.

Question 24

The most common secondary-storage device is a ______ ____, which
provides storage for both programs and data.

Answer 24

The most common secondary-storage device is a magnetic disk, which
provides storage for both programs and data.

Question 25

In fact, many early storage devices, including paper tape and core memories, are relegated to museums now that magnetic tape and
_________ _______have become faster and cheaper.

Answer 25

In fact, many early storage devices, including paper tape and core memories, are relegated to museums now that magnetic tape and
semiconductor memory have become faster and cheaper.

Question 26

As mentioned earlier, _____ ______ loses its

contents when the power to the device is removed

Answer 26

As mentioned earlier, volatile storage loses its

contents when the power to the device is removed

Question 27

In the absence of expensive

battery and generator backup systems, data must be written to _____ _____ for safekeeping

Answer 27

In the absence of expensive
battery and generator backup systems, data must be written to nonvolatile
storage for safekeeping

Question 28

___-____ ____ have several variants but in general are faster than
magnetic disks and are nonvolatile.

Answer 28

Solid-state disks have several variants but in general are faster than
magnetic disks and are nonvolatile.

Question 29

Another form of nonvolatile storage is _____,

which is DRAM with battery backup power.

Answer 29

Another form of nonvolatile storage is NVRAM,

which is DRAM with battery backup power.

Question 30

For instance, seven or more devices can be

attached to the ____ ______-_____ _______(____) controller

Answer 30

For instance, seven or more devices can be

attached to the small computer-systems interface (SCSI) controller

Question 31

Typically,

operating systems have a _____ ____ for each device controller

Answer 31

Typically,

operating systems have a device driver for each device controller

Question 32

This form of interrupt-driven I/O is fine for moving small amounts of data
but can produce high overhead when used for bulk data movement such as disk
I/O. To solve this problem, _____ _____ _____ (___) is used.

Answer 32

This form of interrupt-driven I/O is fine for moving small amounts of data
but can produce high overhead when used for bulk data movement such as disk
I/O. To solve this problem, direct memory access (DMA) is used.