| What is an Operating System? |
| The operating system communicates with the system hardware to control the computer's input/output systems. Keyboards and disk drives, and that loads and runs other programs. The operating system is also a set of mechanisms and policies that help define controlled sharing of system resources. |
The kernel
The kernel is a special program that is loaded into the computer when it is first started. Load modules, such as device drivers, after the system starts running. |
Standard utility programs
Some programs serve a single function other programs are large and perform many functions. |
System database files
Most files are relatively small and are used by a variety of programs on the system. |
System startup and configuration files
Startup and configuration files store information how to look up network name and address. |
Security Policy
The policy determines how the computer is run with the respect to the users and system administration. Establishing a policy role in the overall process of operating a secure system. |
