You're interested in learning about Operating Systems. What are the key concepts you need to know?

1 What is an OS?

An OS is a complex program that performs many tasks, such as booting, scheduling, memory management, file system management, device drivers, network services, security, and user interface. An OS can be classified into different types, such as single-user, multi-user, distributed, real-time, embedded, or mobile. Some examples of popular operating systems are Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS.

2 How does an OS work?

An OS works by interacting with the hardware components of a computer, such as the CPU, RAM, disk, keyboard, mouse, monitor, and network card. An OS uses a kernel, which is the core part of the OS that runs in the privileged mode and has direct access to the hardware. The kernel handles the low-level operations, such as interrupt handling, process management, memory management, and device management. The kernel also provides system calls, which are the interfaces that allow user programs to request services from the OS.

5 How can you learn more about OS?

If you want to learn more about OS, you can start by reading some textbooks, such as Operating System Concepts by Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne, or Modern Operating Systems by Tanenbaum and Bos. You can also watch some online courses, such as Introduction to Operating Systems by Georgia Tech, or Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User by Google. You can also practice some programming exercises, such as writing a shell, implementing a memory allocator, or building a file system.

6 Why is OS important for your career?

If you're interested in pursuing a career in software engineering, computer science, or information technology, you'll benefit from having a solid foundation in OS. OS is a fundamental skill that can help you understand how computers work, how to write efficient and reliable code, how to debug and troubleshoot problems, and how to design and implement systems . OS can also open up many opportunities for you, such as working on system software, embedded systems, cloud computing, or cyber security.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?