Elementary Computer Ed-3

Unit III: Operating system
What is an Operating system?
An operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources
(the CPU, memory, I/O devices, etc.) and provides its users an interface that is convenient to use.
The operating system is a vital component of the system software in a computer system.
Application programs require an operating system to function.
Examples of popular operating systems include Dos, Microsoft Windows, UNIX.
Main Functions of an Operating System

Main Functions performed by operating systems are discussed below.
Process management: This module takes care of the creation and deletion of processes, scheduling
of various system resources to various processes, requesting them and providing mechanism for
synchronization and communication among processes.
Memory management: The memory manager in an OS coordinates the memories by tracking
which one is available, which is to be allocated or de-allocated and how to swap between the main
memory and secondary memories. The operating system tracks all memory used by each process so
that when a process terminates, all memory used by that process will be available for other
processes.
File Management: This module takes care of file related activities like organization, storage,
retrieval, naming, sharing and protection of files.
Security: Most operating systems include some level of security. The security module protects the
resources and information of a computer system against destruction and unauthorized access.
Command Interpretation: This module takes care of interpreting user commands and directing the
system resources to handle the requests thereby, contributing to the ‘ease of use’ objective of an
operating system. The two categories of user interfaces supported by various operating systems are
(i) Command line Interface (ii)Graphical User Interface.
Logical architecture of a computer is shown below to illustrate how operating System hides the
details of hardware form the user.
User
User User
User
User
Computer
User Hardware User
Operating System
User
Application Software and other System Software 1/7

DOS (Disk Operating System)
Dos (Disk Operating System) is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that
dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one
includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.
Related systems include MS-DOS, PC-DOS, DR-DOS, FreeDOS, PTS-DOS, ROM-DOS, Novell
DOS, OpenDOS,86-DOS and several others.
Origins
IBM PC-DOS (and the separately sold MS-DOS) and its predecessor, 86-DOS, were loosely inspired
by Digital Research's CP/M, which was the dominant disk operating system for 8-bit Intel 8080 and
Zilog Z80 based microcomputers. PC-DOS ran on Intel 80x86-family processors.
When IBM introduced the IBM PC, built with the Intel 8088 microprocessor, they needed an
operating system. Seeking an 8088-compatible build of CP/M, IBM initially approached Microsoft
CEO Bill Gates (possibly believing that Microsoft owned CP/M due to the Microsoft Z-80 SoftCard,
which allowed CP/M to run on an Apple II[2]). IBM was sent to Digital Research, and a meeting was
set up. However, the initial negotiations for the use of CP/M broke down—Digital Research wished
to sell CP/M on a royalty basis, while IBM sought a single license, and to change the name to "PC
DOS". DR founder Gary Kildall refused, and IBM withdrew. IBM again approached Bill Gates. Gates
in turn approached Seattle Computer Products. There, programmer Tim Paterson had developed a
variant of CP/M-80, intended as an internal product for testing SCP's new 16-bit Intel
8086 CPU card for the S-100 bus. The system was initially named "QDOS" (Quick and Dirty
Operating System), before being made commercially available as 86-DOS. Microsoft purchased 86-
DOS, allegedly for $50,000. This became Microsoft Disk Operating System, MS-DOS, introduced in
1981.
What is an external and internal command?

In MS-DOS there are two types of commands. An Internal command, which is a command
embedded into the command.com file, and an external command, which is not embedded into
command.com and therefore requires a separate file to be used. For example, if your computer
does not have fdisk.exe and you try using the fdisk command, you would receive an error "Bad
command or file name." Fdisk is an external command that will only work if fdisk.exe, or in some
cases, fdisk.com, is present.
However, as long as MS-DOS is running on your computer internal commands such as the CD
command will always be available and does not require any other files to run.
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INTERNAL COMMANDS
1. These are those commands which are contained in command.com files of MS-DOS.
2. These are those functions that are built into the command interpreter.
3. There is no need of any external file in computer to read internal MS-DOS command.
4. These commands can be used as long as DOS is running on the system.
5. Internal commands do not vary from system to system.
6. These commands include Time, Date, Del, MD, Cd, Cls, Vol, Ren, etc.
EXTERNAL COMMANDS
1. These are those commands which are not in-built in MS-DOS.

2. External commands are those which are not included in the interpreter.
3. There is a need of an internal file in the computer to read external MS-DOS command.
4. External command may vary from system to system. This means any two computers with
same version of MS-DOS may have same internal commands, but may have different
external commands.
5. These are Tree, Xcopy, Diskcopy, More, Print, Fdisk, etc.
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Unit III: Operating system

What is an Operating system?

Main Functions of an Operating System

Application Software and other System Software 1/7

What is an external and internal command?

1. These are those commands which are not in-built in MS-DOS.

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