The basic concept of a computer operating system

Mondo Technology Updated on 2024-01-29

A computer operating system is a system administrator at the software level that coordinates the interaction between computer hardware and applications. A deep understanding of the basic concepts of an operating system is essential for designing efficient, reliable software. This article will delve into the core concepts of computer operating systems, covering processes and threads, memory management, file systems, device management, process scheduling, and deadlocks.

A process is an instance of program execution with an independent memory space and execution environment. The operating system implements reasonable allocation and isolation of system resources through process management. Explain in detail the lifecycle of a process, including create, wait, and terminate.

Example: Create a process using the multiprocessing module of Python. 

import multiprocessing

def worker():

print("worker process")

if __name__ == "__main__":

process = multiprocessing.process(target=worker)

process.start()

process.join()

Threads are the units of execution in a process, and multi-threaded programming can improve the concurrency of a program.

Example: Create a thread using the Python threading module. 

import threading

def print_numbers():

for i in range(5):

print(i)

def print_letters():

for letter in 'abcde':

print(letter)

if __name__ == "__main__":

t1 = threading.thread(target=print_numbers)

t2 = threading.thread(target=print_letters)

t1.start()

t2.start()

t1.join()

t2.join()

Virtual memory provides a process with a larger address space than actual physical memory, and the paging mechanism divides physical memory into pages.

Example: Memory allocation and release in C. 

#include

int main()

int *array = (int *)malloc(5 * sizeof(int));

Use array

free(array);

return 0;

For example, the LRU (least recently used) algorithm selects replacement pages based on page access history.

Example: Python implementation of the LRU algorithm. 

from collections import ordereddict

class lrucache:

def __init__(self, capacity):

self.cache = ordereddict()

self.capacity = capacity

def get(self, key):

if key in self.cache:

self.cache.move_to_end(key)

return self.cache[key]

return -1

def put(self, key, value):

if key in self.cache:

del self.cache[key]

elif len(self.cache) >= self.capacity:

self.cache.popitem(last=false)

self.cache[key] = value

The file system is the core of the operating system and consists of files, directories, and file descriptors.

Example: File operations in C. 

#include

int main()

file *file = fopen("example.txt", "w");

fprintf(file, "hello, world!");

fclose(file);

return 0;

In computer operating systems, file permissions and access control are key concepts to ensure data security and privacy.

Example**: File permission settings in Linux. 

chmod 755 example.sh

IO (Input-Output) operation is the process of transferring data from a computer to or receiving data from an external device. Device drivers are the bridge between the operating system and the hardware device, responsible for managing and controlling the device so that it works with the operating system.

Example**: Simple IO operation in C. 

#include

int main()

char c;

printf("enter a character: ");

scanf("%c", &c);

printf("you entered: %c", c);

return 0;

Interrupts and exceptions are two important event handling mechanisms that respond to specific situations generated by hardware and software.

;Example: Interrupt handling in assembly language. 

interrupt_handler:

Interrupt Handling**.

ret

For example, first-come, first-served (FCFS), shortest job priority (SJF) and time slice rotation.

Example: A simple time-slice rotation scheduling algorithm. 

def round_robin_scheduling(processes, burst_time, quantum):

n = len(processes)

remaining_burst_time = list(burst_time)

waiting_time, turnaround_time = [0] *n, [0] *n

time = 0

while true:

all_finished = true

for i in range(n):

if remaining_burst_time[i] >0:

all_finished = false

if remaining_burst_time[i] >quantum:

time += quantum

remaining_burst_time[i] -= quantum

else:time += remaining_burst_time[i]

waiting_time[i] = time - burst_time[i]

remaining_burst_time[i] = 0

if all_finished:

breakfor i in range(n):

turnaround_time[i] = burst_time[i] +waiting_time[i]

return waiting_time, turnaround_time

A deadlock is a state in which two or more processes cannot continue to execute due to competition for system resources, and each waits for the other to release resources. Deadlocks typically occur in multi-process or multi-threaded environments, where each process is waiting for system resources that are already being consumed by other processes.

This article provides an in-depth look at the basic concepts of computer operating systems, including processes and threads, memory management, file systems, device management, and more. These concepts are an indispensable foundation in computer science and software engineering, laying a solid foundation for designing efficient and stable software.

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