OS Supplemental and Summary
What is an OS made up of?
User Interface
Libraries
Kernel
Device Drivers
TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
Windows
You will find Windows computers in the engineering computer labs (such as LMP 226) and in Hunt and D.H. Hill libraries.
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image2.png)
MAC OS X
You will find Mac computers in Hunt and D.H. Hill libraries.
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image3.png)
Linux
You can find Linux computers in Hunt and D.H. Hill, as well as in the engineering computer labs (such as LMP 226).
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image4-1024x570.png)
What does a kernel do?
- Kernels are the core of an OS. Most OSs use monolithic kernels which provide six general services
- Interfacing: System call API
- Interfacing: Device driver API
- Process and task management
- Scheduling
- Memory Management and virtual memory
- File system and virtual file system
User Interfaces
User interfaces are how we as users interact with the computer. Different programs and OSs have different UIs.
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image5.png)
Above left is a command line interface (CLI) often used to tell the operating system what commands to perform.
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image6-1024x576.png)
Another UI is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which is more user-friendly. The above right example of a GUI is the Windows 10 desktop.
Device Drivers
Device drivers are software pieces that are like a set of instructions for the kernel on how to make the hardware perform a certain function.
Example: You want to play sound. You need a sound card to do so (a device!). There is a sound card device driver that interfaces between the card and the OS Kernel to let you play the sound from your computer.
![](https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/07/image-8.png)
Swift, Michael M., et al. “Recovering device drivers.” ACM Transactions on Computer Systems (TOCS) 24.4 (2006): 333-360.