System Call

User programs cannot directly access hardware or critical OS resources

because it would make the system unstable and insecure. To maintain
safety, the operating system provides system calls — controlled interfaces
that allow user programs to request services from the kernel. These calls act
as a gateway between user mode and kernel mode. System Calls are,
 A way for programs to interact with the operating system.
 Provide the services of the operating system to the user programs.
 Only entry points into the kernel are executed in kernel mode.

Example:
 Opening a file in C (fopen) internally uses system calls like open().
 Running a program in Linux uses fork() and exec() system calls.
 Printing on screen uses the write() system call.
How do System Calls Work?
A system call is a controlled entry point that allows a user program to request
a service from the operating system. Here's how it works:
 The user program executes a system call instruction (e.g., using syscall
or int 0x80).
 The CPU switches from user mode → kernel mode for safe execution.
 The kernel identifies the system call number and performs the requested
operation (file access, process creation, memory allocation, etc.).
 After completing the task, the kernel switches back to user mode.
 The result (success/failure/data) is returned to the program.
 Without system calls, every program would need its own way to access
hardware, leading to inconsistent and insecure systems.
System calls do not always cause context switching. They primarily involve
a mode switch from user mode to kernel mode. A context switch happens
only when the calling process is blocked, not during every system call.
Types of System Calls
Services provided by an OS are typically related to any kind of operation that
a user program can perform like creation, termination, forking, moving,
communication, etc. Similar types of operations are grouped into one single
system call category. System calls are classified into the following
categories:

Different Types of System Calls in OS

 File System: Used to create, open, read, write, and manage files and
directories.
 Process Control: Used to create, execute, synchronize, and terminate
processes.
 Memory Management: Used to allocate, deallocate, and manage
memory for processes.
  Interprocess Communication (IPC): Used for data exchange and
communication between different processes.
 Device Management: Used to request and release devices, and to
perform read/write operations on them.

System Programs in Operating System



System Programming can be defined as the act of building Systems

Software using System Programming Languages. According to Computer
Hierarchy, Hardware comes first then is Operating System, System
Programs, and finally Application Programs.
In the context of an operating system, system programs are nothing but a
special software which give us facility to manage and control the computer's
hardware and resources.
As we have mentioned earlier these programs work more closely with the
operating system so it executes the operation fast and helpful in performing
essential operation which can't be handled by application software.

Note : The user can only view up-to-the System Programs he cannot see
System Calls.
System Program Definition
System programs in an operating system are software tools that help users
manage files, run programs, and control system resources. They include file
managers, program loaders, compilers, and system utilities, making it easier
to operate the computer efficiently and keep it running smoothly.

Here are the examples of System Programs :

1. File Management : A file is a collection of specific information stored in
the memory of a computer system. File management is defined as the
process of manipulating files in the computer system, its management
includes the process of creating, modifying and deleting files.
2. Command Line Interface(CLI's) : CLIs is the essential tool for user . It
provide user facility to write commands directly to the system for
performing any operation . It is a text-based way to interact with operating
system. CLIs can perform many tasks like file manipulation, system
configuration and etc.
3. Device drivers : Device drivers work as a simple translator for OS and
devices . Basically it act as an intermediatory between the OS and
devices and provide facility to both OS and devices to understand each
other's language so that they can work together efficiently without
interrupt.
4. Status Information : Information like date, time amount of available
memory, or disk space is asked by some users. Others providing detailed
performance, logging, and debugging information which is more complex.
All this information is formatted and displayed on output devices or
printed. Terminal or other output devices or files or a window of GUI is
used for showing the output of programs.
5. File Modification : This is used for modifying the content of files. Files
stored on disks or other storage devices, we use different types of editors.
For searching contents of files or perform transformations of files we use
special commands.
6. Programming-Language support : For common programming
languages, we use Compilers, Assemblers, Debuggers, and interpreters
which are already provided to users. It provides all support to users. We
can run any programming language. All important languages are
provided.
7. Program Loading and Execution : When the program is ready after
Assembling and compilation, it must be loaded into memory for execution.
A loader is part of an operating system that is responsible for loading
programs and libraries. It is one of the essential stages for starting a
 program. Loaders, relocatable loaders, linkage editors, and Overlay
loaders are provided by the system.
8. Communications : Connections among processes, users, and computer
systems are provided by programs. Users can send messages to another
user on their screen, User can send e-mail, browsing on web pages,
remote login, the transformation of files from one user to another.
Types of System Programs
Different types of system programs are:
 Device Drivers: Works as intermediaries between the operating system
and hardware components. Without drivers, the OS cannot communicate
effectively with devices like printers, keyboards, or graphic cards.
 Utility Program: Perform essential maintenance tasks to ensure the
smooth functioning of the system. They include tools for disk cleanup,
defragmentation, and antivirus protection, helping maintain system
performance and security.
 Communication Programs: Enable data exchange between devices or
users. User can send e-mail, browsing on web pages, remote login, the
transformation of files from one user to another.
 File Management Programs: These programs create, delete, copy,
rename, print, dump, list, and generally manipulate files and directories.
 Program loading and execution: Manage the process of loading
executable programs into memory so they can run. The system may
provide absolute loaders, relocatable loaders, linkage editors, and overlay
loaders.