Operating Systems Quiz & Flashcards

The kernel handles process management, coordinating CPU, memory, and device operations.

Device drivers are specific to hardware components, providing necessary interfaces for the operating system.

Virtual memory uses space on a hard disk to simulate additional RAM, improving multitasking.

Multitasking OS allocates CPU time to multiple tasks, facilitating concurrent execution.

A hypervisor abstracts hardware resources, enabling multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical machine.

Real-time operating systems are designed for time-critical tasks, ensuring timely execution.

In a deadlock, processes wait indefinitely for resources held by others, halting progress.

Fragmentation leads to wasted space and inefficient memory use, reducing performance.

Priority scheduling can cause starvation if low-priority processes are continually bypassed by higher-priority ones.

The FAT organizes and tracks files on a disk, managing data storage and retrieval.

Shell scripts automate tasks by executing a sequence of commands, saving time and reducing errors.

A microkernel has a minimal core, running essential services with additional functionalities in user space.

Context switching allows the CPU to efficiently switch between processes, enabling multitasking.

Journaling file systems maintain logs of changes, ensuring data integrity even after crashes.

The 'fork' system call creates a new process by duplicating the existing process.

Swap space extends physical RAM onto the disk, holding inactive data when memory is full.

A zombie process has completed execution but still occupies an entry in the process table.

The MBR contains the bootloader code to start the operating system.

Terminating processes is a way to break deadlocks, freeing resources for other tasks.

The PCB stores essential information for managing processes, like state and resources.

User applications run in user mode to restrict access to hardware resources for safety.

Bootstrapping refers to the process of loading an operating system into memory during startup.

Buffering temporarily holds data during transfer, ensuring smooth operation between devices or processes.

The scheduler allocates CPU time efficiently to processes, optimizing system performance.

Preemptive scheduling allows the system to quickly respond to new process demands, improving responsiveness.

Spooling allows data to be processed in parallel with other tasks, enhancing peripheral device efficiency.

Load balancers distribute network or application traffic across multiple servers to prevent overloads.

Batch processing systems execute a series of jobs without requiring user interaction.

Multithreading allows multiple threads to be executed within a single process, improving concurrency and system responsiveness.

The command interpreter, or shell, processes user commands and executes corresponding system functions.

Thrashing occurs when excessive paging activity reduces system performance, often due to insufficient RAM.

GUIs allow users to interact with systems via visual elements, making them more intuitive and user-friendly.

Journaling logs changes to files, preventing data corruption by allowing recovery after system failures.

A critical section involves code that accesses shared resources, requiring synchronization to prevent conflicts.

During a context switch, the CPU saves the state of the current process and loads the state of another.

RTOS are designed to provide predictable response times for time-critical applications.

User mode restricts access to certain hardware operations, providing a layer of protection against user errors.

An interrupt is a signal that prompts the CPU to stop its current activities and execute a specific task.

A virtual machine monitor manages and allocates system resources to run multiple operating systems concurrently.

Time-sharing systems allocate CPU time to multiple users, allowing concurrent interaction with the computer.

Dynamic linking shares libraries at runtime, reducing memory usage by allowing multiple applications to use the same code.

Process synchronization ensures that concurrent processes do not produce inconsistent data, maintaining data integrity.

Swap space holds inactive pages from RAM, acting as an overflow area when physical memory is full.

Distributed operating systems allow resources to be shared across multiple systems, improving efficiency and collaboration.

Daemon processes run in the background, performing service tasks without direct user interaction.

The FAT manages how files are stored and located on a disk, ensuring efficient use of storage space.