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What an Operating System Does
The six main jobs: process, memory, file, device and security management, and the user interface.
Six Main Jobs
| Functions of an operating system | ||
|---|---|---|
The OS as a Resource Manager
A computer has limited resources: CPU time, memory, storage space and devices. Many programs and users want them at the same time. The OS acts like a manager who decides who gets what, and when, so that everything runs smoothly and fairly and no program can damage another.
Other Services
Operating systems also provide:
- Utilities — disk cleanup, backup, antivirus (for example Microsoft Defender), system monitoring (Task Manager).
- Networking — connecting to Wi-Fi and Ethernet, sharing files and printers.
- Error handling and logs — messages when something goes wrong, and records that help an IT technician fix it.
- An API — a set of services programs can call, so every app does not need its own code for saving files or drawing windows.
Practice
Select every job that belongs to the operating system.
Choose all that apply.
More lessons in Operating Systems · Next: Process and Memory Management · Previous: Introduction