Operating System Terms

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Operating System

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Software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.

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Kernel

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The core component of an operating system, responsible for managing system resources and communication between hardware and software.

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User Interface

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The means by which a user interacts with a computer, which can be graphical (GUI) or command-line (CLI).

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File System

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A method and data structure that the operating system uses to manage files on a disk or partition.

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Process

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An instance of a program in execution, which includes the program code and its current activity.

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Thread

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The smallest unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system.

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Multitasking

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The ability of an operating system to execute multiple processes simultaneously.

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Virtual Memory

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A memory management capability that provides an 'idealized abstraction' of the storage resources that are actually available.

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Device Driver

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A specific type of software that allows the operating system to communicate with hardware devices.

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Booting

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The process of starting up a computer and loading the operating system.