‘Overview: The Purpose of Operating Systems An operating system (OS) is a software program, but it is different from word ra cadsheets, and alll the other softws - i Sener | Operatig . le of syste iftwa iit thar controls the 's hard- Soe See eren et | System Basics the operating system is the computer's master control program. The OS provides you with the tools (commands) that enable you to interact with the PC. When you issue a command, the OS translates it into code that the machine can use. The OS ensures that the results of your actions are displayed on sereen, printed, and so on. The operating system algo acts as the primary controlling mechanism for the computer's hardwas ‘The operating system performs the following functions: iz Pipers he senmneen loncome th je interface. \et—the user > Loads programs (such as word provessing and spreadsheet py :geams) into the computer's memory so that you can use them, > Coordinates how progeams work with the computer's hardware and other software. >> Manages the w In this lesson you will learn about the types of operating systems and the services they provide. Thea you will learn about some of the en: hhancements you can make to your O$ using utility software, information is stored on and retrieved from disks. OBJECTIVES. List the four primary functions of an operating system, List the four types of operating systems. entity four components Found in most graphical user interfaces, >> Describe the operating system's role in running software programs, >> List three ways the operating system manages the computers hardware Name three types of utilities that enhance an operating system's capabilities rheberrechtlich geschitztes Material@ i] mouneeas second (milliseconds or microseconds, respectively). Real Alagus rogram ina sng psratin Types of Operating Systems ~ ONLINE — Operating systems can be organized into four major types: real-time, single- sovoreieoasonentpesoe wseisingle-tasking, single user/multtasking, and mult-user/multitasking. The fol lowing sections describe each type of OS. coasig systems, rst pha, com polesarten Real-Time Operating Systems A ccal-sime operating system is a very fasty relatively small OS, Real-time OSs are often also embedded OSs, when they are built into the circuitry of a device and are not loaded from a disk drive. A realtime operating system is needed to run real-time applications; it may support multiple simultaneous tasks, or it may only support single-tasking. A rcal-time application is an application that responds to certain inputs extremely quickly—thousandths or millionths of a ime si applications are needed to run medical diagnosti —_= equipment, life-support systems, mac haydirey Cee | tific instruments, and industrial systems. ingle-User/Single-Tasking Operating Systems ‘An operating system that allows a single user to perform just one task at a time is a dngle-uscr/single-tasking eppecating system. To a user, a “task” is a function such as printing a document, writing a file to disk, editing a file, or downloading a file from a network server. To the operating system, 4 task is a process, and small and simple OSs can only manage a single task at a time, MS-DOS is one example of a single-tasking OS, and the Palm OS, used on the Palm handheld com- purer, is another (see Figure 6A.1), Although such operating systems are limited by this characteristic, there is still a use st | FIGURE 64.2 for them, because they take up very little space om trerany hp be more proxtact disk or in memory when they are running and da not require a powerful and expensive computer. fob, | Single-User/Multitasking Operating Systems A single-usee/multitasking operating system is one that allows a single user to perform two or more functions at once. It takes a special operating system to keep two oF more tasks running at once. The most com- monly used personal computers usually run such OSs, including Microsoft Windows and the Macintosh Operating System (sce Fig- ure 68.2). The multitasking features of these OSs have greatly increased the productivity of people in a large variety of jobs because they can accomplish more in a shorter period of time, For Chapterinstance, to an office worker, it is important to be able to send a large document ‘toa printer and be able to do other work on his or her computer while itis being printed. It is also helpful for many types of workers to be able to have two or ‘more programs open, to share the data berween the two peogeams, and to be able ta instantly switch beeween the two programs. AA disadvantage of a single-user/multitasking operating system is the increased size and complexity it needs to support multitasking, while keeping the elated features users have come to expect, such as a graphical user interface, and the ability to share dara between twa or mare open programs. Multi-User/Multitasking Operating Systems A multi-user/multitasking operating system is an operating system that allows multiple users to use programs that are simultancously running on a single net- -work server, called a terminal server. This is not at all the same as connecting to a network server for the sake of accessing files and printers. As you will leaen in Chapter 7, “Networks,” when a computer is connected to a server to access doc- ument files t0 edit, the client computer performs the processing, work locally, Not so with a multi-user OS, which gives each user a complete environment, called a user session, on the server. Each user's applications run within their user session -on the server separate from all other user sessions, The software that makes this possible is called a terminal client, In a multi-user/multitasking: operating system ‘environment, all or most of the computing occurs at the server (sce Figure 64.3). nee of multi-user OSs include UNIX, VMS, and mainframe operating sys- tems such as MVS. Terminal Server Terminal Giient FIGURE 60.3 ‘mt ser mtasking poraing sytem urs ona caste to witch any users cornect, each user can un his or bar own session onthe server, Using Operating Systems 207I @ ONLINE For move itoration on user intcaces. vis http wrwwemhno corn? peternorton FIGURE 6A.4 The Windus XP Gul has several standard fatres, ecluing he dest, task, and Stat button, Sorts mr spear in ayo tee areas 208 Chapter 6 ‘The advantage of these operating systems is that they can be managed by sim- ply making changes to one server, rather than to many desktop computers. They also allow the user to work with applications that require a more powerful com: puter than the user needs on the desktop to run the client. A disadvantage is that if che network connection to the server is broken, the user cannot do any work in the applications on the server. Pro g a User Interface ‘When you work on a computer, you see and use a set of items on the screen, “Taken together, these items are called the user interface. The two most common types of user interfaces are graphical and command line. Graphical User Interfaces Most current operating systems, including all versions of Windows, the Macin- tosh operating system, OS/2, and some versions of UNIX and Linux, provide a graphical user interface (GUI, pronounced GOO-ee). Graphical user interfaces are so called because you use a mouse (or some other pointing device) to work with graphical objects such as windows, menus, icons, buttons, and other tools. “These graphical tools all represent different types of commands; the GUI enables you to issue commands to the computer by using visual objects instead of typing ‘commands. This is one of the key advantages of a graphical uses interface; it frees you from memorizing and ryping text commands. ‘Windows is one of several GUIs that use the desktop metaphor in which the background of the GUI is said to be a desktop on which you have your geaphical tools and within which you can store your work. Figure 6A.4 shows the Windows XP desktop. The small pictures on the desktop—called shortcuts—represent links to resources on the PC or network, Although shortcuts are often called icons, an icon actually is only the tiny graphic that represents an abject, such as programs, folders, files, printers, and shortcuts. Using your mouse or other pointing device, you can move the pointer (a small graphic that moves in reaction to mouse move- ments) and choose (or activate) a shortcut, telling Windows you want to use the resource that the shortcut represents. For example, you can choose the Microsoft ‘Word shortcut to launch that program, The items that appear on the desktop Start Button> FAQs. Most software companies have Web sites with lists of frequently asked questions (FAQs). 2 SSS ores > E-Mail Help. At the company’s Web site, you may find an ‘option that lets you describe a problem and submit a re- quest for help. A support technician will investigate the problem, or an automated system will send you a list of possible solutions. > Knowledge Bases. A knowledge base is a sophisticated database containing detailed information about specific topics, To use a knowledge base, you type a term or phrase or describe a problem, After your text is matched against a database, you are presented witha list of pos- sible solutions. » Newsgroups. Large software companies sponsor news- groups on the Internet. Using your newsreader, you can access these newsgroups, post questions for other users to answer, or participate in discussions about specific. proce aca teenie ese 32 Amauri accom ipa weston | Before you use any remote online help resource, read all the information the company provides about it. Look for notices about fees, registration, and proof of product ‘cannot change. Therefore, if you want to edit embedded data, simply double-click the embedded object, and the original application that created the data is opened to allow editing of the embedded data. Object linking adds another Ir to the ‘and from the Clipboard retains a inship: The data that is copied to Figinal document so that a change in inked data. For example, suppose that 9.8.13 are generated quarterly. They al- ‘ways contain the same chart up. most recent numbers. With object linking, when the numbers in changed, the chart in the report will automatically reflect the new ‘igures. Of course, object linking is not autos ‘you need to use spevial commands in your applications to create the link. the spreadsheet and memo shown i Managing Hardware ‘When programs run, they nced to use the computer's memory, monitor, disk dri- ves, and other devices, such asa printer. The operating system is the intermediary. between programs and hardware, In a computer network, the operating system also mediates berween your computer and other devices on the network. Using Operating Systems 215wah tbe OP. How the operating sate consmunicates © phen you eek on a fg @ The folders contents Same aor Seenmbagenne ne ‘files in that folder, The 0S tells the CPU enema a oem ce ie ‘The OS ‘the ie Ee z Orca = ‘returned from the: pitta © ihn coat te Ui ‘splays iton the pauses any The CPU retrieves the ee: ee, gD Omeeenen OS to see what new: a the folder, prs ots ing requested. aUne aA Processing Interrupts ‘The operating system responds to requests to use memory and other devices, keeps track of which programs have aecess to which devices, and coordinates everything the hardware does so that various activities do not overlap causing the computer to become confused and stop working. The operating system uses interrupt requests (IRQs) to help the CPU coordinate processes, For example, Fig- lure 6A.L4 shows what happens if you tell the operating system to list the files in a folder. Working with Device Drivers In addition to using interrupts, the operating system often provides programs for ‘working with special devices such as printers. These programs are called drivers ‘because they allow the operating system and other programs to activate and wse— that is, “drive"—the hardware device. Most new software you buy will work with your printer, monitor, and other equipment without requiring you to install any special drivers, Enhancing an OS with Utility Software would want to do with a computer, such as managing files, loading programs, @ |More Bre _OPetatng eysters are designed to let you do most of the tasks you normally Fer more intrmation on uly printing documents, and so on. But software developers are constantly creating, cea ‘new programs—called utiltics—that enhance or extend the operating systems ca- pabilities, or that simply offer new features not provided by the operating system hip:rvemw me come bos itself. As an operating system is improved and updated, the functionality of pop- ular utilities is included with subsequent releases of the OS. There are thousands ‘of different utility programs, and you can find many on the Intemiet—some free and some at a price ranging from very inexpensive to hundreds of dollars. While it is difficult to give a definitive list of utility software categories, the most common types that ordinary people use are disk and file management, In- ternet security, and OS customization tools. To complicate matters further, there are many packaged utility suites that combine two or more utilities into one bun- dle. The following seetions describe a small selection of populae utilities. 216 Chapter 6Backup Utilities For safekeeping, a backup utility ean help you copy large groups of files from your hard disk to another storage medium, such as tape or a CD-R disc, Many newer operating systems feature built-in backup util- ities (sce Figure 6.15), but feature-rich backup soft- ware is available from other sources, These utilities aot only help you transfer files to a backup medium, they also help organize the files, update backups, and restore backups to disk in case of data loss. Antivirus A virus is a parasitic progeam that can delete or scramble files or replicate itself until the host disk is full, As you will lear in “Computing Keynotes: Viruses,” computer viruses can be transmitted in numer- ‘ous ways, and users should be especially vigilant when downloading files over the Internet or reusing old diskettes thar may be infected. An antivirus utility can ex- amine the contents of a disk or RAM for hidden viruses and files that may act as, hosts for virus code. Effective antivirus products not only detect and remove viruses; they also help you recover data that has been lost because of a virus. Firewall ‘Your ISP and most corporations emplay specialized computers on their Internet connections that are dedicated ta examining and blocking trafffe coming from and going to the Inter net. Such a computer is called a firewall, and manu- facturers such as Cisco, 3COM, and others offer these products at a very high price, These firewalls also require highly trained people to manage therm. If you work in a corporation where a firewall is pro- testing the corporate network, lave the firewall func tion to the experts. At home, however, you will want to be sure to use cither a smaller, lessexpensive hard- ware ficewall or install a software firewall utility on any computer directly connected to the Internet. Wen- dows XP comes with a simple firewall that you can optionally turn on through the Propectics dialog of each network connection. There are many third-party firewall programs, such as Kerio Winroute Pro, shown in Figure 64.16. Intrusion Detection While a firewall offers protection from predictable intrusion, intr software reveals the types of attacks a firewall is thwarting, crea attempts and (depending on how you configure it) notifying you of certain types of intrusion artempts, In the competitive utility software field, intrusion detection is often added asa feature to firewall of bundled Internet security programs. Screen Savers Sercen savers are popular utilities, although they serve little purpose other than to hide what would otherwise be displayed on the screen. A screen saver auto- matically appears when a keyboard or pointing device has not been used for a FIGURE 68.15 ‘Te Windows Backup uty. FIGURE 04.19 Kerio Winoute Pros one ot may \nepersve pers renal rods avaiable today, Using Operating Systems 27Norton Notebook Changing Your PC’s Operating System q The operating system market has expanded aver the past few years, freeing PC users ta choose different operating systems. Users no longer feel lacked into the 0S provided by. the PCs manufacturer. ‘Any newer-model PC (if it has sufficient resources) cant run almost any. currently available operating system. For ex- ample. if you have a Pentium Ii-class or later computer with 128 MB of RAM and a large hard disk, you do not nk essarily need to run Windows 9x. Instead, you can use Win- dows NT oF 2000, 05/2, Linux, and some versions of UNIX (but not the Mac 05). You might even be able to run Wine dows XP, If you have a Macintosh, you alsa may be able to run some versions of UNIX or Linux {but not Windows). Consider Your Needs First Consider your need for a new operating system. Do you need. a different 0S to use a specific application? Is the OS used in your workplace or schaol, or do you need to be 0S- compliant with a workgroup? Do you pian to develop or test applications that run on a specific operating system? Or wil a different operating system allaw better performance from ‘your computer? If you answer yes to any of these questions, anew 0S may be a good idea. Compatibility Is a Must Before installing an 05, make sure that your hardware is completely compatible with it. If you have any doubts, check with the manufacturers of your computer and any de- vices attached to it. Check with the operating system's de~ velaper to see iF a “hardware compatibility list” is available, This document may answer all your hardware-related ques- tions and may be found on the developer's Web site. IF you suspect a problem, weigh the costs of replacing the hard- ware against instalking 2 new OS. If your hardware is compatibte, make sure you have ade- quate resources for the new 05. Having adequate resources ‘can be a problem for same operating systems, such as Win- dows 2000 and XP, which consume a great deal of system resources, Make sure your PC has enough power, memory, and storage, not just for the 0S, but also for your applica- tions and data. Next, make alist of all the applications you use ar plan to use, and make sure they will run under the new 0S. Be sure to include your utilities, Internet tools, and others. You. ‘may need to upgrade or replace some or all of your software to accommodate the new 0S, Again, weigh this cost against the need for a new 0S. specified period of time. Sereen savers display a moving image on the screen and, ‘were originally ceeated to prevent displayed images from “burning” into the mon- itor Today's monitors do not suffer from this problem, but screen savers remain a popular utility because they can add personality to the user's system. Figure 6A.17 shows.a Windows screen saver that comes with the newer ve nsof Win- dows. Screen savers are available from many sources, and you can even use your 218 ‘Chapter 6 ‘own picture and graphic files with "most sereen saver programs.