1.5 Fundamentals Concepts


When the computer system starts, it has to load an operating system into the main memory. The operating
systems consists of programs the control the operations of the application programs.
The part of the operating system that loads and stays in the main memory is called the kernel. The operating
system acts as an intermediate level between the application programs and the computer system hardware.
The operating system provides several important functions (Jane Holcombe, and Charles Holcombe, (2012)):
User interface: The user interface is the layer the user used to communicate with the operating
system.
Job management: It is an operating system function that controls the order and time in which programs
are run.
Task management: It is an operating system function used in multitasking environments.
Memory management: It is an operating system function that manages the placement of programs in
the main memory.
File management: It is an operating system function that defines how the data is stored as files and
directories on the secondary storage.
Device management: It is an operating system function that control the I/O devise.

1.5 Fundamentals Concepts


Security: The security function of an operating system provides the user authentication before allowing
access to the local computer.