system software

The computer's master control program. When the computer is turned on, a small "boot program" loads the operating system. Although additional modules may be loaded as needed, the main part, known as the "kernel" resides in memory at all times.

The operating system (OS) sets the standards for all application programs that run in the computer. Applications "talk to" the operating system for all user interface and file management operations. Also called an "executive" or "supervisor," an operating system performs the following functions.

function of OS
1. Starting a computer . The process of starting a computer or restarting a computer is called booting .2. Provide a user interface . We interact with software through its user interface . That is , user interface controls how you enter data and instuctions and how information is displayed on the screen . 3. Managing programs . Some operating systems support a single user and only one running program at a time . Others support thousands of users running multiple programs .4. Managing Memory .The computer's operating system is responsible for managing memory such as : a ) Allocating data and instruction to an area of memory while being processed .b ) Monitoring the contents of memory .5. Configuring Devices . A driver , short for device driver . is a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with specifis device . Each device on a computer , such as mouse ,keyboard , monitor , printer , digital camera , card reader and scanner , has it own specialized set of commands and thus required its own specific driver .