fundamental of operating system and their type

 

An operating system is a program that manages a computer's resources, especially the allocation of those resources among other programs. The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in a convenient and efficient manner¹²³.

Some of the main functions of an operating system are¹²³:

- It controls the hardware and software components of the computer system, such as CPU, memory, disk, keyboard, mouse, printer, network, etc.

- It performs basic tasks such as booting the system, loading and running programs, managing files and directories, handling errors and exceptions, etc.

- It provides services to other programs and users, such as process management, memory management, file system management, device management, security management, etc.

- It provides a user interface that allows users to interact with the computer system through commands or graphical elements.

Some of the common examples of operating systems are¹²³:

- Windows: A family of operating systems developed by Microsoft for personal computers and servers. Windows is the most widely used operating system in the world. Some versions of Windows are Windows 10 , Windows 8 , Windows 7 , Windows XP , etc.

- Linux: A family of open-source operating systems based on the Unix operating system. Linux is popular for its stability, security, and customizability. Some distributions of Linux are Ubuntu , Fedora , Debian , Red Hat , etc.

- MacOS: An operating system developed by Apple for its Macintosh computers. MacOS is known for its elegant design and user-friendly features. Some versions of MacOS are Big Sur , Catalina , Mojave , High Sierra , etc.

- Android: An operating system developed by Google for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is based on Linux and supports a variety of applications and games. Some versions of Android are Pie , Oreo , Nougat , Marshmallow , etc.

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Windows operating system is a family of operating systems developed by Microsoft for personal computers and servers. Windows operating system was announced by Bill Gates on November 10, 1983, and introduced a graphical user interface for MS-DOS, which had been introduced two years earlier¹².

A timeline of Windows operating system history is as follows¹²³⁴:

- Windows 1.0: Released on November 20, 1985. It was the first version of Windows that allowed users to point and click to access windows instead of typing MS-DOS commands. It also supported multitasking and tiled windows.

- Windows 2.0: Released on December 9, 1987. It improved the user interface and introduced overlapping windows, keyboard shortcuts, and control panel. It also supported expanded memory and VGA graphics.

- Windows 3.0: Released on May 22, 1990. It was a major upgrade that featured a new user interface with icons, program groups, and file manager. It also supported virtual memory, enhanced graphics, sound, and networking.

- Windows 3.1: Released on April 6, 1992. It added support for TrueType fonts, multimedia, drag and drop, OLE (object linking and embedding), and CD-ROMs. It also introduced Windows for Workgroups, which enabled peer-to-peer networking and file sharing.

- Windows NT 3.1: Released on July 27, 1993. It was the first version of the newly developed Windows NT operating system, which was designed to be more secure, stable, and scalable than the previous Windows versions. It was based on a fully 32-bit kernel and supported multiple processors, preemptive multitasking, and NTFS (new technology file system).

- Windows NT 3.5: Released on September 21, 1994. It improved the performance and reliability of Windows NT and added support for TCP/IP networking protocol and power management features.

- Windows NT 3.51: Released on May 30, 1995. It added support for long file names and Plug and Play devices.

- Windows 95: Released on August 24, 1995. It was a major breakthrough that integrated MS-DOS and Windows into a single operating system with a new user interface that featured the Start menu, taskbar, and Windows Explorer. It also supported long file names, preemptive multitasking, registry, dial-up networking, Internet Explorer web browser ,and USB devices.

- Windows NT 4.0: Released on July 31, 1996. It adopted the user interface of Windows 95 and included a fully 32-bit version of Windows Explorer written specifically for it. It also improved the security ,performance ,and networking features of Windows NT.

- Windows CE: Released on November 16 ,1996 .It was a compact version of Windows designed for handheld devices ,such as PDAs ,smartphones ,and embedded systems .It supported a subset of Win32 API ,a touch screen interface ,and synchronization with desktop computers .

- Windows CE

The timeline of Windows operating system history from Windows 98 to Windows 10 is as follows¹²³⁴:

- Windows 98: Released on June 25, 1998. It was the last major version of Windows based on MS-DOS. It improved the user interface and added support for new technologies, such as ACPI, USB, AGP, and Internet Explorer 4. It also introduced the Windows Desktop Update, which integrated web content and features into the desktop.

- Windows Me: Released on September 14, 2000. It was the last version of Windows in the 9x series and aimed at home users. It introduced new features such as System Restore, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player 7, and Internet Explorer 5.5. It also removed some features such as real mode DOS support and booting to DOS.

- Windows 2000: Released on February 17, 2000. It was based on the Windows NT kernel and designed for professional and business use. It added support for new hardware standards, such as USB, FireWire, Plug and Play, and advanced power management. It also improved the security ,reliability ,and performance of Windows NT and included Internet Explorer 5 ,Windows Media Player 6.4 ,and DirectX 7 .

- Windows XP: Released on October 25 ,2001 .It was based on the Windows NT kernel and unified the consumer and professional lines of Windows .It featured a new user interface with a blue theme ,rounded corners ,and clear type fonts .It also supported new technologies ,such as wireless networking ,Bluetooth ,and CD burning .It included Internet Explorer 6 ,Windows Media Player 8 ,and DirectX 8 .

- Windows Vista: Released on January 30 ,2007 .It was a major overhaul of Windows that introduced a new user interface with a glass-like appearance called Aero .It also added new features such as User Account Control ,Windows Defender ,Windows Firewall ,Windows Search ,Windows Sidebar ,and Internet Explorer 7 .It improved the security ,reliability ,and performance of Windows and supported new hardware standards ,such as HD DVD ,Blu-ray Disc ,and DirectX 10 .

- Windows 7: Released on October 22 ,2009 .It was an incremental update to Windows Vista that refined the user interface and fixed some of the issues that users had with Vista .It also added new features such as Jump Lists ,Snap ,Shake ,Peek ,HomeGroup ,Libraries ,and Internet Explorer 8 .It improved the performance ,compatibility ,and battery life of Windows and supported new technologies such as multi-touch gestures and DirectX 11 .

- Windows 8: Released on October 26,2012 .It was a radical redesign of Windows that introduced a new user interface with a tile-based Start screen and full-screen apps optimized for touch devices .It also added new features such as Charms bar,Semantic zoom,Live tiles,PIN logon,and Internet Explorer10.It improved the security,reliability,and performance of Windows and supported new hardware standards,such as UEFI,NFC,and DirectX11.1.It also included a separate edition called Windows RT that ran on ARM-based devices,such as tablets.

- Windows 8.1: Released on October17,2013.It was an update to Windows8 that restored some of the features that users missed from previous versions of Windows,such as Start button,boot to desktop,and desktop background for Start screen.It also added new features such as Bing Smart Search,Snap Assist,SkyDrive integration,and Internet Explorer11.It improved the performance,stability,and usability of Windows and supported new technologies such as Miracast,Wi-Fi Direct,and DirectX11.2.

Linux operating system is a family of open-source operating systems based on the Linux kernel, which was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Linux operating system is compatible with Unix and can run on various hardware platforms, such as personal computers, servers, mobile devices, embedded systems, etc. Linux operating system is distributed under various licenses, such as the GNU General Public License (GPL), and has many variants, such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, etc¹²³.

A timeline of Linux operating system history is as follows¹²³⁴:

- 1983: Richard Stallman starts the GNU project with the goal of creating a free Unix-like operating system. He also writes the GNU General Public License (GPL), which allows users to modify and redistribute the source code of software.

- 1987: Andrew Tanenbaum releases MINIX, a Unix-like operating system for educational purposes. It inspires Linus Torvalds to create his own operating system.

- 1991: Linus Torvalds announces his project of developing a free operating system kernel on the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.minix. He names it Linux after himself. He releases the first version of Linux kernel (0.01) on September 17.

- 1992: Linux kernel is relicensed under the GPL. The first Linux distributions are created by combining the Linux kernel with GNU software and other components. Some of the early distributions are SLS, Yggdrasil, MCC Interim Linux, and Debian.

- 1993: Over 100 developers work on the Linux kernel. The first issue of Linux Journal is published. Slackware and Red Hat are released as new distributions.

- 1994: Linux kernel version 1.0 is released on March 14. It supports TCP/IP networking and X Window System. Torvalds transfers the Linux trademark to Linux International. The first Linux conference (Linux Kongress) is held in Germany.

- 1995: Linux gains support for multiple architectures, such as Alpha, SPARC, and MIPS. The first book about Linux (The Linux Bible) is published. The first commercial use of Linux is reported by ISPs and web hosting companies.

- 1996: Linux kernel version 2.0 is released on June 9. It supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), loadable modules, and more device drivers. The official mascot of Linux, Tux the penguin, is created by Larry Ewing.

- 1997: Eric Raymond publishes The Cathedral and the Bazaar, an influential essay that analyzes the open-source development model of Linux and other software projects. IBM announces its support for Linux on its servers and mainframes.

- 1998: The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is founded by Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens to promote the term "open source" instead of "free software". Netscape releases the source code of its web browser under an open-source license, inspired by the success of Linux. Oracle announces its support for Linux on its database products.

- 1999: Linus Torvalds receives an honorary doctorate from the University of Helsinki. Red Hat becomes the first Linux company to go public and achieves a market capitalization of over $5 billion. VA Linux Systems sets a record for the largest first-day gain in an IPO in NASDAQ history.

- 2000: Linux kernel version 2.4 is released on January 4. It supports USB devices ,large memory ,and journaling file systems .The GNOME Foundation and KDE League are established to support the development of two major desktop environments for Linux .Microsoft launches an anti-Linux campaign called \"Get the Facts\" .

- 2001: The Free Software Foundation launches the GNU/Linux naming controversy ,arguing that Linux should be called GNU/Linux to acknowledge the contribution of GNU software .Linux becomes popular as an operating system for embedded devices ,such as routers ,PDAs ,and TiVo .IBM invests $1 billion in Linux development .

- 2002: SCO Group files a lawsuit against IBM ,claiming that IBM violated its intellectual property rights by contributing code from UNIX to Linux .The lawsuit sparks a legal battle that lasts for several years and involves other companies ,such as Novell ,Red Hat ,and Microsoft .Linux kernel version 2.5 begins development .

- 2003: The Debian Project releases Debian GNU/Linux 3 .0 \"Woody\" ,which supports ten architectures and includes over 8 ,000 software packages .The Fedora Project is launched by

The timeline of Linux operating system history from 2004 to present is as follows¹²³⁴:

- 2004: Linux kernel version 2.6.0 is released on December 17, 2003. It introduces major changes to the Linux architecture, such as udev, SELinux, KVM, CFS, and ext4. Ubuntu 4.10 is released on October 20, 2004. It is a new Linux distribution based on Debian that aims to be user-friendly and accessible. It also introduces the six-month release cycle and the "codename + year.month" versioning scheme.

- 2005: Linux kernel version 2.6.12 is released on June 17, 2005. It includes support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Xen virtualization. The Open Invention Network (OIN) is founded by IBM, Novell, Philips, Red Hat, and Sony to acquire patents and license them royalty-free to protect Linux from patent litigation.

- 2006: Linux kernel version 2.6.16 is released on March 20, 2006. It adds support for OCFS2 file system and Atheros wireless devices. Oracle announces its support for Linux by offering its own version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux called Oracle Linux. Novell and Microsoft sign a controversial agreement to collaborate on interoperability and patent protection for their products.

- 2007: Linux kernel version 2.6.21 is released on April 25, 2007. It introduces tickless kernel and dynamic ticks, which improve power efficiency and performance. The iPhone is launched by Apple on June 29, 2007. It runs a modified version of Mac OS X that is based on Unix and competes with Linux-based smartphones such as Android and Maemo.

- 2008: Linux kernel version 2.6.25 is released on April 17, 2008. It adds support for WiMAX devices and UFS file system. Android is launched by Google on September 23, 2008. It is a mobile operating system based on Linux kernel that supports various applications and games.

- 2009: Linux kernel version 2.6.29 is released on March 23, 2009. It features the inclusion of Btrfs file system and SquashFS file system .It also introduces Tux ,the official mascot of Linux ,as a boot logo .The Chrome OS is announced by Google on July7 ,2009 .It is a web-based operating system based on Linux kernel that runs web applications .