#OS An [[operating system]] ([[OS]]) in computer science terms refers to a software program that manages and controls the hardware and software resources of a computer. It acts as an intermediary between the user and the computer hardware, providing a platform for running applications and coordinating various tasks. The main functions of an operating system include: 1. Process management: Allocating system resources to different processes, scheduling their execution, and managing their communication. 2. Memory management: Allocating and managing memory resources for processes, including virtual memory management. 3. File system management: Managing files and directories, including storage, organization, and access control. 4. Device management: Controlling input/output devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, and network interfaces. 5. User interface: Providing a means for users to interact with the computer system through command-line interfaces or graphical user interfaces (GUIs). 6. Security: Enforcing access control policies to protect system resources and data from unauthorized access. Different types of operating systems exist, including batch processing systems, time-sharing systems, real-time systems, distributed systems, and mobile operating systems. Examples of popular operating systems include Windows, macOS, Linux/Unix variants, iOS (for iPhones), Android (for mobile devices), etc. ## References ![[@PatternsNetworkArchitecture2008]] # References ```dataview Table title as Title, authors as Authors where contains(subject, "OS") or contains(subject, "Operating System") or contains(subject, "operating system") sort title, authors, modified ```