Operating Systems, unit: Introduction and System Structures. Core concepts, terminology, and worked-example cues a college student meets for this unit, building on prior units without repeating them. Front: a term, concept, or short problem cue. Back: the definition, explanation, or answer.
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- What is an operating system?
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Software that manages hardware resources and provides services for application programs- What are the four main resources an OS manages?
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The CPU, memory, storage (I/O devices), and processes- What is the kernel?
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The core part of the operating system with direct control over hardware- What is the difference between kernel mode and user mode?
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Kernel mode has full hardware access; user mode is restricted and must request services through the kernel- What is a system call?
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A request from a user program to the kernel for a service, like reading a file- What is a monolithic kernel?
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A kernel design where all OS services run in a single large kernel space- What is a microkernel?
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A kernel design where most services run as separate user-space processes, with a minimal kernel core- What is multitasking?
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Running multiple processes seemingly at the same time on a single processor- What is multiprocessing, as distinct from multitasking?
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Running processes across multiple physical processors or cores simultaneously- What is a batch operating system?
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An early OS type that processes jobs in batches without user interaction during execution- What is a time-sharing operating system?
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An OS that rapidly switches between multiple users' tasks to give the illusion of simultaneous access- What is a real-time operating system?
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An OS designed to guarantee response within a strict time constraint- What is the boot process of a computer?
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The sequence of steps loading the OS into memory when a computer starts- What is BIOS/UEFI's role in booting?
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Initializing hardware and loading the operating system's bootloader- What is a device driver?
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Software that allows the OS to communicate with a specific hardware device
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