Computer Software

and operating system

SOFTWARE:
A collection of instructions, data, or programs used to run
computers and carry out specific activities or
instructions that tell a computer what to do.
Hardware vs Software
Software Hardware
Refers to the set of instructions or programs that tell Refers to the physical components of a computer or
the hardware how to perform specific tasks. electronic device.
Intangible and exists as a collection of code and Tangible and physical components that can be
instructions. touched and seen.
Upgrades involve updating the code or programs, Upgrades typically involve physically replacing
often done through downloads or installations. components, such as adding more RAM or upgrading
Upgrading software does not involve physically to a faster CPU.
changing components.
Can be easily replaced or updated. It doesn't degrade Subject to wear and tear over time. Components can
in the same way hardware does. fail or degrade.
Usually less expensive than hardware, although costs Generally more expensive than software. Physical
can vary depending on the complexity and purpose of components involve manufacturing and material
the software. costs.
Types of Software
• System Software
• Appilication Software
 System Software
• System software refers to a type of computer program
that provides a platform for other software to run on.
• It acts as an intermediary between the hardware of a
computer and the applications software.
• The primary purpose of system software is to manage
the hardware components and provide essential
services for various application software.
• Examples of system software include operating systems
(OS) (like macOS, Linux, Android.
Key components of System
Software:
1.Operating System (OS): The operating system is a
crucial part of system software. It is the core software
that manages and controls the hardware resources of a
computer.
• The operating system provides services such as file
management, process management, memory
management, and user interface.
2.Device Drivers:Device drivers are specialized
programs that allow the operating system to
communicate with and control the hardware components
of a computer. They act as a bridge between the
hardware devices (such as printers, graphics cards, and
Key components of System
Software:
3.Utilities: System utilities are programs that perform
specific tasks related to system management,
maintenance, and optimization.
• Examples include disk cleanup tools, antivirus
programs, backup software, and system monitoring
tools.
4.Compiler and Assembler:These tools are used to
translate high-level programming languages (such as C
or Java) into machine code that the computer's hardware
can execute.
A compiler translates the entire program at once, while
an assembler converts assembly language code into
Key components of System
Software:
5.FIRMWARE:
• Firmware is a specific type of software that is embedded
in hardware devices to provide low-level control for the
device's specific hardware functionalities.
• It is a type of system software that resides on
programmable read-only memory (ROM) or flash
memory within the hardware component itself.
 APPILICATION SOFTWARE:
• Application software, often referred to as "apps" or
"applications," is a type of computer program designed
to perform specific tasks for end-users.
• Unlike system software, which provides a platform for
other software to run on and manages hardware
resources, application software is tailored to the needs
and preferences of users.
• Application software can be categorized into various
types based on their functions and purposes.
 Types of Application software:
• Word Processors: Examples include Microsoft Word,
Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer. These applications
are used for creating, editing, and formatting text
documents
• Spread sheets: Applications like Microsoft Excel,
Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc fall into this
category. They are used for organizing, analyzing, and
visualizing numerical data in tabular form.
• Presentation Software: Microsoft PowerPoint, Google
Slides, and Apple Keynote are examples of presentation
software. They allow users to create and deliver
multimedia presentations.
Types of Application software:
• Web Browsers: Software such as Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari enables users
to access and interact with content on the World Wide
Web.
• Database Management Systems (DBMS):
Applications like Microsoft Access, MySQL, and Oracle
Database provide tools for creating and managing
databases, allowing users to store, retrieve, and
manipulate data.
Customized software(Tailored
Software)
• Customized software refers to software applications that
are developed specifically for a particular user or
organization, taking into consideration their unique
requirements, preferences, and business processes.
• Examples of Customized software includes:
• 1)E-commerce software solutions
• 2)A business process automation management
• 3)Company-facing/Customer-facing web portals.
Concepts of Operating system:

• OS: An operating system is software that manages

computer hardware, software resources, and provides
various services for computer programs. Most common
examples of OS includes:
• 1)Windows
• 2)Linux
• 3)macOS
• 4) Unix
• 5)Android
• 6)IOS etc.
Windows
• Developed by Microsoft, Windows is a widely used
operating system for personal computers. Versions
include Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and more.
macOS
• Developed by Apple Inc., macOS is the operating
system for Apple's Macintosh computers
Linux
• Linux is an open-source operating system kernel that
serves as the foundation for various Linux distributions
(distros). Popular Linux distros include Ubuntu, Fedora,
Debian, and CentOS. Linux is widely used in server
environments and is the basis for the Android operating
system.
Android
• Android is an open-source operating system based on
the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen
mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is
developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.
Ios
• Developed by Apple Inc., iOS is the operating system for
Apple's mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and
iPod Touch.
Organization of OS:
• The organization of an operating system (OS) is often described using a layered
architecture. In very short form, the layers can be summarized as follows:
A)Kernel: The core(heart) of the operating system, responsible for managing
hardware resources and providing essential services. It interacts directly with the
hardware.
1) Since the operating system has control over the system , Kernal also has control
over the system.
2) Kernal is responsible for operating low level task such as disk management,
memory management, task management, etc.
3) It provides interface between user and the hardware components of the system.

B) Hardware: It generally refers to the electrical, mechanical and electronic parts that make up to
computer. However the hardware is sophisticated, it cannot function properly without a proper driver.
Organization of OS:
C)Utility: A utility is a software tool or program that
performs specific tasks to assist in system management
and maintenance. Examples include:
• Disk Cleanup: Removes unnecessary files to free up
disk space.
• Antivirus Software: Protects the system from
malware and viruses.
• Backup Tools: Creates copies of data for recovery in
case of data loss.
Organization of OS:
D)Applications: An apppilication, also referred as an appilication
program or appilication software, is a computer software package that
performs a specific function directly for an end user, or in some cases,
for another appilication. An appilication can be self-contained or group
of program.
E)USERS: A user is someone or something that wants or needs access
to a systems resources; another word for user is client. A user can be a
real person sitting on the computer.
Role of Operating system:

• Operates the CPU of Computer.

• Providing a user interface.
• To control and coordinate peripheral devices such as printer, screens,
disk drivers.
• Manage computer’s memory.
• Manage computer Hardware.
• Help users to develop program.
FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEM:

• I/O Management
• Process Management
• Memory Management
• Device Management
• Security Management
• Time sharing system
Process management
• It manages the process running in the computer
• A process is a program that is being currently run on a computer
system.
• During execution a process needs some resources such as CPU time,
memory space files and I/O devices.
I/O management
• Input/output or I/O refers to the communication between the
information processing system (such as computer) and user.
• The user interacts with machine by providing information through I/O
devices.
• The task of managing various input/output devices such as keyboard,
mouse, monitor, and printer has to be done by OS.
• The OS, without the intervention of the user program, should handle
I/O devices uniformly.
File Management
• It manages the files and directories of a computer system.
• A file can be defined as a collection of information or data that is
stored in the memory of a computer system.
• All computer systems store, retrieve and share information. A
computer stores information in units called files.
• Every file has a unique name. Process read information from files and
creates new files for storing newly generated information.
• An OS allows us to create, modify, save, delete, protect, share,
naming files in a computer system.
Device management
• This function of OS deals with the management of peripheral devices,
such as printer, mouse, and keyboard attached to a computer system.
• An OS interacts with the hardware devices through specific device
drivers. The main task of OS is to manage I/O operation performed by
end-users.
Memory Management
• It manages the memory resources of a computer system.
• There are various memory resources of a computer system including
primary memory (RAM) and secondary memory like hard disk and
compact disk.
• All the programs are loaded in the main memory before their
execution.
• Memory management is the function of the operating system to
determine how much memory should be provided to each process.
Time Sharing System
• A time-sharing system allows many users to share computer
resources simultaneously.
• In other words, time sharing refers to the allocation of computer
resources in time slots to several programs simultaneously.
• A time-shared system uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to
provide each user with a small portion of time-shared computers.
• It allows many users to share computer resources simultaneously.
The OS allocates a set of time to each user.
• As the system switches, a short time slot is given to each user for
their execution
Interrupt Handling:
• An interrupt is a signal indicating an immediate need for
the CPU's attention, triggered by events like hardware
input or software exceptions.
• Two types of interrupt:
• 1) Interrupt generated by a hardware device such as
monitor, printer, mouse, or chips in the system board is
called hardware interrupt.
• 2) Interrupt generated by the programs or software are
called software interruptions.
Interrupt:
User Interface
• The user interface (UI) in an operating system (OS)
serves as the primary means through which users
interact with and control the computer system.
• The UI encompasses both graphical and text-based
elements that enable users to communicate with the
computer and its applications.
• Key Components includes:
• Desktop Environment: Graphical Representation of
Desktop including icons, wallpaper and other visual
elements.
Virtual Memory
• Virtual memory is a common part of most OS on desktop computers.
• The OS cannot load a process in a system whose main memory size is
less than the total memory required by the process.
• Virtual memory is a memory management scheme that overcomes
the limitation by allowing the execution of a process without the need
to load the process in the main memory completely.
• This process can execute even if it is loaded in memory partially.
Two techniques for virtual memory
1) Paging: Paging is a memory management scheme
used by operating systems to divide physical memory
into fixed-size blocks called pages.
It allows for efficient use of memory by swapping data
between RAM and storage in fixed-size units, known as
pages.
2) Swapping: Swapping is a technique where entire
processes or parts of processes are temporarily moved
between RAM and storage (swap space) to free up
memory. It helps the operating system manage the
limited physical memory effectively by bringing in and
out entire processes as needed.
Types of Operating system
• On the Basis of User Interface.
• On the Basis of User Mode.
• On the Basis of Processing Method.
On the Basis of User interface(UI):
a) Graphical user interface(GUI): It is a type of UI which enables user to
interact with OS by means of pointed and click operations.
The graphical icons provided in the UI can be manipulated to perform
different types of task.
b) TUI/CUI(Text/character user interface) of CLI(Command line
interface):
On the Basis of user mode:
• A) single user OS:A Single User single-tasking operating
system allows only one user to perform only one or a
single task at a time.
• Example: Palm OS, MS-DOS, etc.
• A Single-user single-tasking operating system allows
only one user to perform multiple tasks at a time.
On the Basis of user mode:
• B) Multi user OS: A multi-user operating system (OS) is a
computer system that allows multiple users that are on
different computers to access a single system's OS
resources simultaneously.
• Users on the system are connected through a network.
• All mainframes and mini computer are multi user
system.
• It is used in office, business or large system where
different user need to access the same resource, but
these resources cannot be installed on every system.
• Figure:
On the Basis of processing method

The modern day OS allows multiple user to carry out multiple tasks
simultaneously.
Bases on the technological development operating system can be
divided as follows:
A. Batch operating system(OS):n a batch operating system,
tasks are grouped together and processed without
immediate user interaction.
. The user submits a batch of jobs, and the operating
system executes them in sequence.
Batch OS
• Example: Let's consider a simple batch job for a payroll
system:
• Job 1: Calculate employee salaries
• Job 2: Print salary slips
• Job 3: Generate payroll reports
Real time OS:
• A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system
with two key features: predictability and determinism.
• Predictability in an RTOS refers to the ability to forecast the
system's behavior accurately, especially in terms of timing
and response.
• Predictability ensures that tasks and processes in the system
complete within specified time bounds.
• This is critical in applications where timing precision is
essential, such as industrial automation, medical devices, and
control systems.
• In an RTOS, repeated tasks are performed within a tight time
boundary, while in a general-purpose operating system, this is
not necessarily so.
Real time OS
• Determinism :Determinism in an RTOS implies that the
timing behavior of the system is entirely predictable
and consistent.
• Determinism is crucial in real-time systems because it
ensures that tasks respond to external events or
stimuli(anything that can trigger a physical or
behavioral change) within known and guaranteed time
frames.
Real time operating system:
• A traffic light control system is a good example of a
real-time operating system (RTOS) because it involves
precise and timely control of external events.