GEC 114 – Applications of Information and Communication Technology

Sameer Akram

GEC 114 - Applications of Information

Lecture 7 – System Software

Sameer Akram

FALL 2025
Outline
 System software and its components
 Operating system
 Booting process
 OS Kernel

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System Software
 System software enables the applications software to
interact with the computer and helps the computer manage
its internal and external resources. (Williams & Sawyer)
 System software is a collection of computer programs that
manage the resources of a computer and facilitate access
to those resources. (Schneider & Gersting)
 There are three basic components of system software:
1. Operating systems
2. Device drivers
3. Utility programs

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The Components of System Software
1. Operating system - the
principal component of
system software

2. Device drivers - help the

3. Utility programs -
support, enhance, or
expand existing
programs

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Four Components of a Computer System

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The Operating System: What It Does
 The operating system consists of the master system of
programs that manage the basic operations of the
computer.
 A program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a
computer and the computer hardware.
 These programs provide resource management services of
many kinds.
 They handle the control of and use of hardware resources:
 CPU
 Memory
 Peripheral devices

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Computer Hardware, User Interaction

Computer
End User
Hardware
Operating System

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OS: Booting (Computer Startup)
1- BIOS chip
contains the
Bootstrap Program

If unsuccessful
then gives beeps.
If successful go to
next step.

3- OS Kernel is
located and loaded.
Once Kernel is
loaded, it becomes
the in charge of the
Computer System
The Operating System: Booting
1. BIOS is loaded. (Bootstrap program / software)
2. POST (Power-On-Self-Test) is performed.
• Diagnostic routines test the main memory, the CPU, and
other parts of the system to make sure they are running
properly.
 If un-successful then appropriate message is
conveyed (beeps).
 If successful then go to step 3.
3. OS Kernel is located and loaded in main memory. Once
kernel is loaded, it becomes the in-charge of the computer
system.

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The Operating System: Booting
4. System configuration is accomplished.
5. System utilities are loaded.
6. User is authenticated.

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The Operating System: What It Does
 Booting - the process of loading an operating system into a
computer’s main memory

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Firmware
 In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a
tangible electronic component with embedded
software instructions, such as a BIOS. Typically, those
software instructions are used to tell an electronic device
how to operate.
 Firmware is held in non-volatile memory devices such as
ROM, EPROM, or flash memory.
([Link]

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The Operating System: User Interface
 OS provides user interface: user-controllable display screen
that allows you to interact with your computer

OS User Interface

CLI – GUI –
Command Line Graphical User
Interface Interface

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CLI (Command Line Interface) – DOS

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GUI – Graphical User Interface – Windows

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GUI – Windows

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Program and Process
Program
 Set of instructions
 Passive entity (not executing)
 On secondary storage

Process
 Program in execution
 Active entity (being executed)
 Present in Main Memory
 Also called Task or a Job but Process is most commonly
used phrase for it.

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The Operating System Kernel
 “The one program running at
all times on the computer” is
the kernel.
 Nucleus of OS
 Memory resident component
of OS
 Central part or core
component
 OS Kernel provides
communications between
processes and different OS
modules.
 OS modules are loadable as
needed. 18
OS Kernel and User Processes

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The Operating System Kernel
 Supervisor (kernel) – manages the CPU.
 It remains in main memory while the computer is running,
and directs other “non-resident” programs to perform tasks
that support application programs.

 Example
 Writing a report using a word processor program and
want to print out a portion of it while continuing to write.
 OS will select a printer
 Executing printer driver

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That’s end of the presentation!

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