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Functions of an Operating System

                  An operating system perform various functions. Some of them are:
                      Arranging Files and Folders: An operating system
                     helps  to  arrange  the  files  and  folders  stored  on
                     the hard disk. It also keeps a track of information
                     about when a file is created, copied and modified.

                      Assigning Tasks to CPU: An operating system
                     assigns the tasks to the CPU according to the
                     instructions given by the user. It also helps to
                     control the execution of the tasks. It also helps to
                     assign the resources that are required to complete
                     the task.
                                                                                   Functioning of an Operating System
                      Managing Memory: An operating system manges
                     the memory space for multiple processes. It keeps track of every memory location, regardless
                     of either it is allocated to some process or it is free. It also allocates memory to the files and
                     folders. When we delete a file or folder, the operating system de-allocates the memory space
                     allocated for it.

                      Managing Resources: An operating system keeps a track of the hardware and software
                     requirements of the processes. It works as a manager of the resources and allocates them to
                     different programs.
                      Managing Devices: An operating system manages and controls all the input and output
                     devices connected to the computer. When we give an instruction to the computer by using
                     an input device, the computer process the instruction and produces the desired result on
                     the output device.
                      Security: An operating system has in-built security module to protect the programs and data
                     stored on the computer system against the unauthorised access.
                  Types of Operating Systems


                  There are different types of operating systems. The operating system can be categorised on the basis
                  of control and application they support. Let us discuss briefly important types of operating systems.
                      Single-user Operating System: This type of operating system allows only one user can access
                     the computer system at a time. The most commonly used single-user operating systems are
                     Palm computer and DOS.
                      Multi-processor Operating System: A multi-processor operating system has more than one
                     Central Processing Units (CPUs) to manage the functioning of the computer. All these CPUs
                     are able to communicate with one another to coordinate operations. This type of operating
                     systems provide higher speed and capable to run multiple applications at the same time.

                      Multi-tasking Operating System:  A multi-tasking operating system allows users to
                     execute multiple tasks on one computer at a time. All the tasks share a common processing
                     resource like CPU. In this type of operating systems, priority of tasks can also be changed
                     according to the requirement. The most commonly used multitasking operating systems
                     are Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, UNIX and Linux.

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