Text A. Operating systems

Unit 5.

OPERATING SYSTEM

· Vocabulary Bank Unit 5

Task 1. Read, write the translation and learn the basic vocabulary terms:

1. abbreviation

2. accommodation

3. additional

4. application program

5. applications software

6. assembly line

7. background

8. batch

9. circumstance

10. command driven

11. command prompt

12. commitment

13. computation

14. environment

15. eye-watering price

16. facility

17. graphic engine

18. graphical user interface

19. icon ( n )

20. interaction

21. interface

22. kernel

23. key function

24. layer

25. logout

26. memory-protection

27. multiple

28. multiprogramming

29. multi-tasking mainframe

30. multi-user

31. resident program

32. revenue stream

33. robust

34. search engine

35. shell

36. shortcoming

37. source code

38. sufficient

39. supervisor program

40. to be aware

41. to establish

42. to facilitate

43. to implement

44. to invoke

45. to object to

46. to adopt

47. to allocate

48. to boot

49. to entail

50. to hack into

51. to interrupt

52. to lock

53. to look forward to

54. typesetting tool

· Introductory reading

Text A. OPERATING SYSTEMS

The OS (operating system) is the set of computer programs that allow the user to perform basic tasks like copying, moving, saving and printing files. It also provides an interface between (i.e. provides communication between) applications programs (e.g. wordprocessors or spreadsheets) and the computer hardware. As a user interacts with an applications program on the screen, the applications program communicates with the operating system and the operating system communicates with the computer hardware. The work of the operating system takes place in the background and is not always obvious to the user.

The most important program in an OS is the supervisor program. It remains in memory all the time that the computer is operating, and manages the OS. It loads other parts of the OS into memory when they are needed. Programs that remain in memory while the computer is in use are known as resident programs. Programs that only stay in memory while they are being used are known as non-­resident programs.

Some operating systems are command driven (i.e. the user runs a program by typing a command). The screen is usually blank except for a symbol (e.g. $) which acts as a command prompt. When the command is typed at the prompt and the Enter key is pressed, the command is processed and the output is displayed on the screen. OS commands are usually short words or abbreviations (e.g., date, logout, passwd, Is).

Unix is a command driven operating system used on all sizes of computers, but mostly large multi-user, multi-tasking mainframe computers. It is available in many versions, such as Linux, Minix, HP-UX, Xenix, Venix, Ultrix, A/UX, AIX, Solaris, and PowerOpen. Other command driven operating systems mentioned in this unit include: VAX/VMS, MVS VM OS/390, NetWare, MS-DOS and PC-DOS.

Some operating systems have a GUI (pronounced like 'goo-ey' - graphical user interface) that allows the user to use a mouse to click on icons on the screen or choose commands from a list of choices known as a menu. Operating systems with graphical interfaces mentioned in this unit include: MacOS, OS/2, Penpoint, Windows NT, Windows 3.x, Windows 9X and Windows 2000.