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Operating Systems: Fundamentals & Processes

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What an OS does, the kernel, user/kernel mode, processes and memory.

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Operating system

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  1. 1Operating system
    System software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs
  2. 2Three main purposes of an operating system
    Allocate resources between applications, provide an interface abstracting hardware details, and provide common services like network and disk access
  3. 3Kernel of an operating system
    The part of the OS that provides protection between different applications and users, manages memory, and controls access to I/O devices
  4. 4Two modes of operation in most operating systems
    User mode (where hardware checks software executes only legal instructions) and kernel mode (unrestricted powers, not subject to these checks)
  5. 5Interrupt
    An efficient mechanism for operating systems to react to the environment by causing the CPU to change control flow to an interrupt handler (ISR)
  6. 6Software interrupt
    A message to a process that an event has occurred, contrasting with hardware interrupts which are messages to the CPU
  7. 7Context switch
    When the operating system suspends a running thread, saves its state into the thread control block, and loads the state of a new thread
  8. 8System call
    A mechanism that allows application code to request services from the operating system kernel
  9. 9Direct Memory Access (DMA)
    An architecture feature allowing devices to bypass the CPU and access main memory directly, reducing CPU overhead for I/O operations
  10. 10Memory protection
    A mechanism that enables the kernel to limit a process's access to the computer's memory, using methods like memory segmentation and paging
  11. 11Segmentation violation (Seg-V)
    An interrupt triggered when a program attempts to access memory addresses it's not authorized to access, usually resulting in program termination
  12. 12Virtual memory
    A memory management technique that allows the OS to use memory scattered around hard disk and RAM as if it's one continuous chunk, providing more memory than physically exists
  13. 13Page fault
    An interrupt that occurs when a program tries to access memory that has been allocated to it but is not currently accessible, triggering the kernel to adjust virtual memory
  14. 14Swapping in operating systems
    When memory accessed less frequently is temporarily stored on disk to make space available for other programs, with content exchanged on demand
  15. 15Concurrency in operating systems
    The operating system's ability to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously, supported by virtually all modern operating systems
  16. 16Threads
    Mechanisms that enable splitting a process's work into multiple parts that can run simultaneously, sharing code and resources but with individual execution paths
  17. 17Cooperative multitasking
    A historical model where a thread could run until it voluntarily relinquished control, which could allow a single thread to monopolize the processor
  18. 18Preemptive multitasking
    A model where the operating system can interrupt a thread to prevent it from monopolizing the processor, used by most modern operating systems
  19. 19What information does a thread have?
    Thread ID, program counter, register set, and stack, but shares code, heap data, and other resources with other threads of the same process
  20. 20Parallelism in operating systems
    When multiple threads run on different CPUs simultaneously, which can speed up a program depending on how much can be executed concurrently
  21. 21File system
    An abstraction used by the operating system to simplify access to permanent storage, providing human-readable filenames, metadata, and other features
  22. 22Two main permanent storage technologies in modern computers
    Hard drives (magnetic disks) and flash memory (solid-state drives), with flash being more expensive but faster and more durable
  23. 23Absolute file path
    A path that begins at the root directory and lists subdirectories divided by punctuation to specify file location
  24. 24Relative file path
    A path that defines the location of a file from a current directory rather than from the root
  25. 25File systems map filenames to data
    Using a dictionary that maps a file's name and metadata to the data block where its contents are stored, often using directories and indexes
  26. 26File system fragmentation
    When file data is scattered across non-contiguous blocks, which many operating systems address by grouping files or periodically reorganizing
  27. 27RAID
    Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks - a technology using redundant storage to protect against data loss from hardware failures
  28. 28CIA triad in operating system security
    Confidentiality (unauthorized users cannot access data), Integrity (unauthorized users cannot modify data), and Availability (system remains available)
  29. 29Principle of least authority in OS security
    Granting only the minimum privilege essential for performing a task to minimize security risks
  30. 30Monolithic kernel
    A kernel design where most OS functionality runs in kernel mode with full privileges, used by most general-purpose operating systems but vulnerable if compromised

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