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diff --git a/notes/software.tex b/notes/software.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..472b558 --- /dev/null +++ b/notes/software.tex @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +\chapter{Software} + +We can think of the operations of a system in \textit{layers}. At +the very top there is the user. Below this there are applications +that the user interacts with. These then interact with the +operating system in the layer below, which interacts with the +system hardware as the bottom layer. + +\begin{myquote} + \textit{Software} consists of the + programs and other operating information used by a computer. +\end{myquote} + +\textit{Application software} performs tasks for a user (such as a +word processor, game, or web browser) through interaction with the +operating system. \textit{Utility programs} are used to maintain and +improve functionality of the computer. Utility programs include +\textit{firewalls} (which blocks network activity deemed dangerous), +\textit{disk defragmenters} (which ensure that files are organised in +a sensible way across the blocks on a hard disk in order to improve +performance, rather than having a file scattered across multiple +blocks), \textit{disk formatters}, and \textit{system information and +diagnostics} tools. + +\section{Operating sytem} + +The operating system is a type of system software which provides an +interface between applications and the hardware. It has five primary +tasks: + +\begin{itemize} + \item Processor management: allocating time and cores for + applications to run on the CPU. + \item Memory management: allocating and managing main memory + needed by applications. + \item Security: managing login and other basic authentication and + security operations of the system, such as preventing an + unprivileged user from making some changes. + \item Input/output (I/O) device management: managing any I/O + devices such as keyboards, mice, screens, printers, speakers, + and network interfaces by ensuring that the necessary drives + are present to allow many different devices to work with the + system. + \item Applications: interfacing with the applications being run + and providing essentials such as a graphical interface for the + application to the user and network access to an application. +\end{itemize} |
