An operating system (OS) is the fundamental system software that manages a computer’s hardware and software resources while acting as an intermediary interface between the user and the physical hardware. Without an operating system, a computer would be entirely unusable because software applications would not have a unified way to communicate with components like the CPU, memory, or storage. Core Layers of an Operating System
An OS is structurally divided into two main parts that handle different levels of interaction:
Kernel: The core engine running directly on the hardware. It allocates memory, executes code commands, and manages low-level hardware communication.
Shell (User Interface): The outer layer that users see and interact with. This can be a Graphical User Interface (GUI) like windows and icons, or a Command-Line Interface (CLI) text system. Crucial Functions of an OS
The operating system works silently in the background to handle several complex responsibilities simultaneously:
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