What is an Operating System?

Operating System hereinafter referred to as OS.

An operating system (OS) is software that manages computer hardware and system resources and provides the tools that applications need to operate. The birth of OS meant that programs no longer had to be written to control the entire scope of computer operation.

The parts of an Operating System

Operating systems are build out of two main parts :

• The kernel
• System programs

The kernel is the heart of the OS. It is the first program loaded when the computer starts up, it manages computer resources, and it handles requests from system programs and applications.

System programs run on top of the kernel. They aren’t used to perform useful work, instead they are the programs necessary to connect the kernel to user applications and peripheral devices. Device drivers, file systems, networking programs, and system utilties like disk defragmeters are all examples of system programs.

Application programs aren’t part of the operating system and are the programs used to perform useful work. Word processing applications, browsers, and media player are common types of application programs. Application programas are managed and enabled by the kernel, and use system programs to access computer periphery devices and hardware.

What you need to know?

The list of things you need to know before you attempt to undertake OS development is very long. The three most important things you need to master prior to jumping into OS development are :

• Basic computer science knowledge
• Computer programming theory and best-pratices
• Low-level and high-level programming languages

  Summary

  Learning OS development is one of the most challenging programming tasks you can undertake. However, succeeding in your effort to build a working OS will mark you as a competent programmer and one who deeply understands how processors, hardware, and computer programs work together to create what the rest of the world takes for granted as a functioning computer.