Overview of PC Operating System

LI Xiang
Telecommunication Division, NMC, China E-mail: lixiang@[Link]

An operating system is the software that provides the interface between the hardware of a computer system and the applications programs that are used on it.

1. Introduction to Windows

Windows is a series of operating systems developed by Microsoft. Object oriented and easy-to-use Graphical User Interface (GUI) Multitasking Operating systems

allowing multiple software processes to be run at the same time.

Multiprocessing

Multithreading

allowing multiple processors to be utilized.

allowing different parts of a software program to run concurrently.
Visual Basic, Visual C, Visual FoxPro, Delphi, Power Builder, . Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visio, Internet Explorer,

Abundant in development tools and applications

MS Windows kernal
Windows 9X kernal
Windows 3.X/95/98/ME
In 2001, Microsoft announced ceasing the development of Windows 9X kernal.

Windows NT kernal
Windows NT/2000/XP

Architecture of Windows 2000/XP

Non OS service process, eg. WINLOGON, SMSS OS service process, eg. Event log service OS function call interface

System support process

Service process

User application

Environment subsystem

Converting public calling interfaces to internal system calls

Subsystem DLLs

user mode
kernel mode

Executive
kernel Device Drivers GUI Hardware Abstraction Layer
Scheduling threads Scheduling interrupt Synchronizing multiprocessor

-Memory management -Process and threads management - I/O

Including the drivers of file system and hardware

-Process communication

Major components of Windows

Windows Desktop

Icons, Start Button, Taskbar Configuration and management hardware Configuration and management system resources Install and uninstall application software Files and folders

Control pannel

File manager

program files: executable data files: not executable and associated with a specific program or file format file naming

a file name can contain up to 255 characters including letters, numbers, spaces and some other printable characters. a file name cant contain the following characters: /\:*?"<>|

Tasks manager

Displaying the status of processes current running on system Stopping a process

Network

Supporting NetBEUI, TCP/IP, IPX, Providing the network application programs and tools, such as ftp, telnet, ping, tracert, netstat, Allowing sharing disks, files and printers among MS Windows machines.

2. Introduction to Unix

Developed at Bell Laboratories in 1969. Written with the high-level programming language C.

Initially designed for medium-sized minicomputers, and then

moved to mainframe computers and personal computers. For different hardware platforms, there are many different Unix versions.

AIX, Digital Unix, Hp Unix, Sco Unix, which is a PC-based Unix operating system

Features of Unix

Mature and stable operating system Graphical User Interface operating system Multitasking capability Multiprocessing Multithreading Multiuser capability

System portability

allowing multiple users to utilize the computer and run programs at the same time. Capable of moving from one brand of computer to another with a minimum of code changes . The operating system could be upgraded without having all the user's data inputted again.
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Containing many tools and applications

Unix functionally organized at three levels

offering additional functionality to the operating system - Surrounding the kernel and acting as a user interface to the Unix operating system - Command language interpreter - Interprets the command users enter - Selects and runs the command or program - Provides the results to the screen or file as directed by the command -C shell, Bourne shell, Korn shell The main part of operating system, and responsible for controlling system resources. -Loaded into memory when the system boots -Process control and scheduling -Memory management -Device I/O -System error handling -User programs requesting services from the kernel through system calls -Hardware devices getting kernel response through interrupts

Tools and applications shell kernel

User interface

Providing two methods for user to interact with the operating system

GUI, for users of workstations or intelligent terminals with bit-mapped displays. Command line interface, for users of a character cell terminal or terminal emulator.
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File system

A hierarchical file system

a root filesystem: /bin, /lib, /etc, /dev, a /usr filesystem: programs and unchanging data a /var filesystem: changing data (such as log files) a /home filesystem: users files Ordinary disk files Special files

Types of files

Each physical device on a Unix system is treated as a special file. Located in the /dev directory.

Directory flies File and directory names can include letters, numbers, periods(.), underscores(_), and some other printable characters. Avoid characters with special programming or system meanings, such as /, *?[]<>$&!. Generally, a name of file and directory can contain up to 255 characters. Accessing directories: cd , ls, pwd Finding files: find Viewing files: more, cat, tail, head Editing files: vi, ed

Naming files and directories

Accessing directories and files

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Controlling Processes (1)

A process

Is a program that is currently executing Can be created and destroyed Has resources allocated to it Has an environment associated with it that:

Process and process group IDs Open files Working directory File creation mask Real and effective user and group IDs Resource limits: maximum file size, maximum amount of memory Signal action settings A set of named variables
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Can create other processes Can communicate with other processes

Controlling Processes (2)

Creating a process

Running jobs in the foreground: command Running jobs in the background: command & jobs

Obtaining process status

Displays status of jobs in the current session Job number, job status, PID
Shows current status of processes PID, state, accumulated execution time, command,

ps

Controlling and managing jobs

Placing a job in the foreground: fg Restarting a job in the background: bg Stopping a process: Ctrl/C, kill Setting process priority: nice Scheduling jobs to run at appropriate times: at, crontab
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Networking Services

UUCP

Unix to Unix copy program A batch-processing/spooling system Typically used between systems with dial-up telephone lines or direct serial lines rlogin, rcp, rsh, telnet, ftp Ping, netstat, trouceroute Allowing transparent file access over TCP/IP networks among computers, including Unix, Linux and MS Windows machines.

TCP/IP

Network File System (NFS)

IPX/SPX

Netware clients can log in Unix servers via Novell network.

allowing the sharing of files with MS Windows machines (via Network Neighbourhood). allowing the sharing of printers across machines.
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LAN Manager Client

Online documentation

Unix commands are documented on line in the man pages. The man command provides online access to the system's reference pages.

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3. Introduction to Linux

A free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus

Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. The source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. GUI operating system, including many of the tools that Windows users are familiar with such as,

A file manager A Window manager A help system A configuration .

Requiring less system resources. A Linux based system can operate smoothly on a 386 or 486. Application software support

Office applications: Corel WordPerfect Office 2000 for Linux Deluxe Graphics tool: Gimp Browsers: Netscape Communicator 4.75, Opera browser

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Examples

PCVSAT, DVB, DAB

MS Windows NICC: AIX RICC, PICC: AIX, Digital Unix CIMS: Sco Unix, will be replaced by Linux in future.

CMAs domestic communication system

CMAs GTS system

VMS, will be replaced by UNIX in next year

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FTP (get)

FTP (put)

TCP
scokets

Data management PCVSAT Mux and storage - PC - IBM H50 - Windows NT - AIX - Sybase

PCVSAT receiver Data Database management - PC - PC - PC - Windows 98 - Sco Unix - Sco Unix - Sybase CIMS

NICC

Thank you

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