Lessons 10 · 1 lessons · B. Boltayev, A. Azamatov, A. Asqarov, M. Sodiqov, G. Azamatova. Fundamentals of Informatics and Computer Technology, Grade 8. Second edition. “O‘zbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi” State Scientific Publishing House, Tashkent, 2015
10
The idea of an operating system
Textbook: pp. 43–48
GoalKnows the definition, functions, classes and qualities of an operating system, and the history of UNIX, Linux and open-source projects.
New words
operating system (OS): the program that starts with the computer, manages devices and programs and gives the user a convenient interface · operatsion sistemaresource: something the OS shares among programs, such as RAM, processor time or disk space · resursmultitasking system: lets several programs run at the same time · ko‘p masalali sistemamulti-user system: each user has a separate account and password · ko‘p foydalanuvchili sistema
Explanation
An operating system (OS) is the program that starts when the computer is switched on, manages the devices and other programs and gives the user a convenient interface. It is like a waiter in a restaurant: you order a dish, and the waiter arranges all the work in the kitchen and brings you the result. The OS has three main jobs: managing devices (keyboard, printer, disk), managing programs (loading and running them) and carrying out commands; it also shares resources such as RAM, processor time and disk space among programs. Operating systems can be single-task or multitasking, single-user or multi-user; today’s systems are multitasking and most give each user a separate account and password. A good OS must be reliable, protective, efficient and convenient. Examples: Windows, macOS and Linux (on computers), Android and iOS (on phones). UNIX was created in the early 1970s at Bell Laboratories by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie; because it was written in C it was easy to move to other computers. Linus Torvalds created the Linux kernel in 1991, and together with the GNU project started by Richard Stallman (1983) it became an open-source operating system. Make your account password strong and share it with nobody.
Worked examples
Multitasking: you listen to music while typing a text. The OS switches processor time between the programs very fast, so both seem to run at once.
Printing: the text editor gives the OS a command, the OS sends data to the printer through a driver, and if the printer is busy the OS puts the document in a queue. The program does not need to know the printer’s inner workings.
Class activity
“Restaurant”: the class splits into “customers” and “OS (waiter)”. A customer places an order such as “print the document” and the OS explains which devices and resources take part.
Practice
1
Name the three main functions of an operating system.
Managing devices, managing programs, carrying out commands.
2
Sort into computer and phone operating systems: Windows, Android, Linux, iOS, macOS.