An operating system is a program that acts as an intermediary between the user of a
computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to
provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in a convenient and
efficient manner.
Understanding the evolution of operating systems gives us an appreciation for what
an operating system does and how it does it. We trace the development of operating
systems from the first hands-on systems, through multiprogrammed and time-shared
systems, to current handheld and real-time systems.
The operating system must ensure the correct operation of the computer system. The
hardware must provide appropriate mechanisms to prevent user programs from
interfering with the proper operation of the system. We describe the basic computer
architecture taht makes it possible to write a correct operating system.
The operating system provides certain services to programs and to the users of those
programs in order to make their tasks easier. The services differ from one operating
system to another, but we identify and explore some common classes of these
services.
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