Operating Systems Demystified From Kernels to Devices
Operating Systems Demystified From Kernels to Devices An operating system (OS) is the software that makes a computer usable. It sits between apps and the hardware, guiding what the machine can do. Think of the OS as a manager that keeps things organized, fair, and safe. It divides work into tasks, handles input and output, and protects memory so one program cannot crash another. At the heart of the OS is the kernel. It runs in a trusted, central area and talks to the hardware through drivers. The kernel schedules CPU time for processes, allocates memory, and coordinates access to devices like keyboards, disks, and networks. It exposes a set of system calls that apps use to ask for services, such as reading a file or starting a new task. ...