Description

An operating system (OS) is the fundamental software that manages a computer’s hardware and software resources. It provides a connection between applications and the computer’s hardware, allowing users and programs to use the system efficiently.

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to how modern operating systems are designed, organised and implemented. It focuses not only on what an operating system does, but also on the design decisions and mechanisms used to make operating systems work efficiently and securely.

Main topics introduced

1. Computer system overview — processors, memory, caches, interrupts and multiprocessor systems.
2. Operating system functions — what an OS does and how operating systems have developed.
3. Processes and threads — how programs are executed and managed.
4. Concurrency — how multiple processes operate at the same time and how conflicts are controlled.
5. Memory management — how the OS manages main memory, paging, segmentation and virtual memory.