Section 2 - Systems Software Flashcards
What are some functions of the operating system?
» Hardware
» User interface
» Memory management
» File management
» Multitasking
» Software
What is a helpful acronym to rememeber the functions of the operating system?
» MUSH FM
What is mulitasking?
2 marks
» When you have more than one program open and running at the same time
» Processor allocates a small amount of time to each process and cycles between them
What is user management?
» Allows multiple users to log into the same computer
» OS will retain settings for each user
What is WIMP?
» Windows
» Icon
» Menus
» Pointers
What is an operating system?
» Software that manages the operations of the computer for the user
» Acts as a brige between the user and the computer’s hardware
What is the user interface?
» The means by which the computer and user interact
» Can be a commmand line interface
» Can be a GUI interface
Where is the OS held?
» On the hard disk
How does is the OS loaded into RAM?
» Small program called loader which is in ROM sends instructions to load operating system by copying it from storage into RAM
How does mememory management work?
» When a program is run, it is retreived from secondary storage and place in memory
How does the operating system manage memory management?
» Memory is used efficently - program that are being used need to be stored in memory without space being wasted
» Data in memory is secure
What are the 2 ways in which memory can be split?
» Paging
» Segmentation
