Fundamental of Computer Systems - Operating System Basics PDF

Fundamental of Computer Systems Operating System Basics Prepared by Gani Basheer Ahamed © Ubuntu Linux  Lecture Overview Understand the types of operating systems available  Differentiate among the major desktop operating systems  Explain compu...

Fundamental of Computer Systems Operating System Basics Prepared by Gani Basheer Ahamed © Ubuntu Linux  Lecture Overview Understand the types of operating systems available  Differentiate among the major desktop operating systems  Explain computer file storage concepts 2  System Software System software is the software that starts the computer and keeps it running, performing basic system tasks such as running applications, managing files, and correcting errors. System software includes: 1. BIOS 2. Operating System 3. Utility software 3  BIOS The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is the built- in software on the motherboard that starts the computer. It performs a power-on self-test (POST) at startup, which ensures that all the critical hardware devices are functioning properly,including the CPU, the RAM, and the motherboard. If the hardware passes the tests, the BIOS looks for an operating system on one of the available drives, and then passes off control to the operating system to complete the boot process. 4  The Operating System  The BIOS starts the computer at a basic level, but the operating system does the bulk of work to keep it running and to help the user accomplish tasks. 5  The Operating System An operating system can have either a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface. GUI interfaces are the norm in operating systems designed for most personal computing devices, such as desktops, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Users interact with the graphics they see onscreen by using a keyboard or mouse, or using a finger or stylus on a touch screen. In a command-line interface, users employ a keyboard to type commands at a prompt.Nowadays they are confined mostly to server operating systems. 6  Comparing the Major Operating Systems  Mac OS X The graphical operating system designed for Apple’s desktop and notebook computers. Newer versions now run on the Intel platform. The Macintosh platform has been popular with graphics professionals for decades, and much of the best page layout and graphics editing software was originally developed for the Mac. 7  Windows OS Microsoft Windows. Like Mac OS X, Windows also has an attractive GUI and is easy to learn and use. It is used in Intel based hardware. 8  Linux OS Linux An open-source, cross-platform operating system that runs on desktops, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. 9  Command Line Interface  Linux is, at its core, a command-line operating system, as is UNIX. However, nearly all the distros contain multiple shells—utilities that allow a user to interact with the operating system.  Command-Line Interface: Refers to a command line or text based interface as opposed to the commonly seen graphical interfaces common today.  cmd.exe: Microsoft command-line interpreter that issues commands that are executed by the operating system. 10 Creating a Directory Structure 11 Manipulating the Directory Structure 12  Copying and Moving Files COPY source path\filename destination path\filename For example: COPY C:\TEST\TEST.DOC C:\DOCS\TEST.DOC The syntax for performing a MOVE is: MOVE source path\filename destination path\filename For example: MOVE C:\TEST\TEST.DOC C:\DOCS\TEST.DOC 13