Between your program and the hardware sit two vital layers. This unit covers what the operating system does, how it schedules work and handles interrupts, and how compilers and interpreters turn source code into machine code.
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The role of the operating system
The operating system sits between the user and applications on one side and the hardware on the other, hiding the complexity of managing hardware.
It manages system resources including the CPU, memory, storage, input/output devices and the network.
It provides services such as file management, process management, security and the user interface.
Applications reach the hardware through the operating system using system calls, rather than controlling devices directly.
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1. What best describes the main role of an operating system?
2. In round robin scheduling, how is CPU time allocated to processes?
3. What is an interrupt?
4. Which statement correctly describes a difference between a compiler and an interpreter?
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