chapter 2 Flashcards
(4)Operating System Services
Operating systems provide an environment for execution of programs and services to programs and users
One set of operating-system services provides functions that are helpful to the user:
User interface - Almost all operating systems have a user interface (UI). Varies between Command-Line (CLI), Graphics User Interface (GUI), Batch
Program execution - The system must be able to load a program into memory and to run that program, end execution, either normally or abnormally (indicating error)
- *I/O operations** - A running program may require I/O, which may involve a file or an I/O device
- *File-system manipulation** - The file system is of particular interest. Programs need to read and write files and directories, create and delete them, search them, list file Information, permission management
(5)Operating System Services (Cont.)
Communications – Processes may exchange information, on the same computer or between computers over a network
- Communications may be via shared memory or through message passing (packets moved by the OS)
Error detection – OS needs to be constantly aware of possible errors
- May occur in the CPU and memory hardware, in I/O devices, in user program
- For each type of error, OS should take the appropriate action to ensure correct and consistent computing
- Debugging facilities can greatly enhance the user’s and programmer’s abilities to efficiently use the system
(6)Operating System Services (Cont.)
Another set of OS functions exists for ensuring the efficient operation of the system itself via resource sharing
Resource allocation - When multiple users or multiple jobs running concurrently, resources must be allocated to each of them
- Many types of resources - Some (such as CPU cycles, main memory, and file storage) may have special allocation code, others (such as I/O devices) may have general request and release code
- *Accounting** - To keep track of which users use how much and what kinds of computer resources
- *Protection and security** - The owners of information stored in a multiuser or networked computer system may want to control use of that information, concurrent processes should not interfere with each other
Protection involves ensuring that all access to system resources is controlled
Security of the system from outsiders requires user authentication, extends to defending external I/O devices from invalid access attempts
If a system is to be protected and secure, precautions must be instituted throughout it. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
(7)A View of Operating System Services
(8)User Operating System Interface - CLI
CLI or command interpreter allows direct command entry
Sometimes implemented in kernel, sometimes by systems program
Sometimes multiple flavors implemented – shells
Primarily fetches a command from user and executes it
- Sometimes commands built-in, sometimes just names of programs
If the latter, adding new features doesn’t require shell modification
(9)Bourne Shell Command Interpreter
(10)User Operating System Interface - GUI, what is it, what to use it with ?
User-friendly desktop metaphor interface
- Usually mouse, keyboard, and monitor
- Icons represent files, programs, actions, etc
- Various mouse buttons over objects in the interface cause various actions (provide information, options, execute function, open directory (known as a folder)
- Invented at Xerox PARC
(10)User Operating System Interface - GUI, what systems have includes CLI?
Many systems now include both CLI and GUI interfaces
- Microsoft Windows is GUI with CLI “command” shell
- Apple Mac OS X is “Aqua” GUI interface with UNIX kernel underneath and shells available
- Unix and Linux have CLI with optional GUI interfaces (CDE, KDE, GNOME)
(11)Touchscreen Interfaces
Touchscreen devices require new interfaces
- Mouse not possible or not desired
- Actions and selection based on gestures
- Virtual keyboard for text entry
(12)The Mac OS X GUI
(13)System Calls
Programming interface to the services provided by the OS
Typically written in a high-level language (C or C++)
Mostly accessed by programs via a high-level Application Program Interface (API) rather than direct system call use
Three most common APIs are Win32 API for Windows, POSIX API for POSIX-based systems (including virtually all versions of UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X), and Java API for the Java virtual machine (JVM)
(13)System Calls-Why use APIs rather than system calls?
(Note that the system-call names used throughout this text are generic)
(14)Example of System Calls-
System call sequence to copy the contents of one file to another file
(15)Example of Standard API
(16)System Call Implementation
Typically, a number associated with each system call
- System-call interface maintains a table indexed according to these numbers
The system call interface invokes intended system call in OS kernel and returns status of the system call and any return values
(16)System Call Implementation- user role in system calls
The caller need know nothing about how the system call is implemented
Just needs to obey API and understand what OS will do as a result call
Most details of OS interface hidden from programmer by API
- Managed by run-time support library (set of functions built into libraries included with compiler)
(17)API – System Call – OS Relationship
(18)System Call Parameter Passing- amount of infromation ?
Often, more information is required than simply identity of desired system call
- Exact type and amount of information vary according to OS and call
(18)System Call Parameter Passing- what are the types of method to pass parameters?
Three general methods used to pass parameters to the OS
Simplest: pass the parameters in registers
- In some cases, may be more parameters than registers
Parameters stored in a block, or table, in memory, and address of block passed as a parameter in a register
- This approach taken by Linux and Solaris
Parameters placed, or pushed, onto the stack by the program and popped off the stack by the operating system
Block and stack methods do not limit the number or length of parameters being passed
(19)Parameter Passing via Table
(20)Types of System Calls
Process control
- end, abort
- load, execute
- create process, terminate process
- get process attributes, set process attributes
- wait for time
- wait event, signal event
- allocate and free memory
- Dump memory if error
- Debugger for determining bugs, single step execution
- Locks for managing access to shared data between processes
(21)Types of System Calls
File management
- create file, delete file
- open, close file
- read, write, reposition
- get and set file attributes
(21)Types of System Calls
Device management
- request device, release device
- read, write, reposition
- get device attributes, set device attributes
- logically attach or detach devices
(22)Types of System Calls (Cont.)
Information maintenance
- get time or date, set time or date
- get system data, set system data
- get and set process, file, or device attributes