- What is the purpose of an I/O status information?
- What is multitasking?
- What are some pros and cons of a command line interface?
- What is caching?
- What is spooling?
- What is an Assembler?
- What are interrupts?
- What is GUI?
- What is preemptive multitasking?
- Why is partitioning and formatting a prerequisite to installing an operating system?
- What is plumbing / piping?
- What is NOS?
- Differentiate internal commands from external commands.
Ans:I/O status information provides info about which I/O devices are to be allocated for a particular process. It also shows which files are opened, and other I/O device state.
Ans:Multitasking is the process within an operating system that allows the user to run several applications at the same time. However, only one application is active at a time for user interaction, although some applications can run “behind the scene”.
Ans:A command line interface allows the user to type in commands that can immediately provide
results. Many seasoned computer users are well accustomed to using the command line because they find it quicker and simpler. The main problem with a command line interface is that users have to be familiar with the commands, including the switches and parameters that come with it. This is a downside for people who are not fond of memorizing commands.
Ans:Caching is the processing of utilizing a region of fast memory for a limited data and process. A
cache memory is usually much efficient because of its high access speed.
Ans:Spooling is normally associated with printing. When different applications want to send an
output to the printer at the same time, spooling takes all of these print jobs into a disk file and queues them accordingly to the printer.
Ans:An assembler acts as a translator for low level language. Assembly codes, written using
mnemonic commands are translated by the Assembler into machine language.
Interrupts are part of a hardware mechanism that sends a notification to the CPU when it wants to gain access to a particular resource. An interrupt handler receives this interrupt signal and “tells” the processor to take action based on the interrupt request.
Ans:GUI is short for Graphical User Interface. It provides users with an interface wherein actions can be performed by interacting with icons and graphical symbols. People find it easier to interact with the computer when in a GUI especially when using the mouse. Instead of having to remember and type commands, users just click on buttons to perform a process.
Ans:Preemptive multitasking allows an operating system to switch between software programs. This
in turn allows multiple programs to run without necessarily taking complete control over the processor and resulting in system crashes.
Ans:Partitioning and formatting creates a preparatory environment on the drive so that the operating
system can be copied and installed properly. This includes allocating space on the drive, designating a drive name, determining and creating the appropriate file system structure.
Ans:It is the process of using the output of one program as an input to another. For example, instead of sending the listing of a folder or drive to the main screen, it can be piped and sent to a file, or
sent to the printer to produce a hard copy.
Ans:NOS is short for Network Operating System. It is a specialized software that will allow a
computer to communicate with other devices over the network, including file/folder sharing.
Ans:Internal commands are built-in commands that are already part of the operating system. External commands are separate file programs that are stored in a separate folder or directory.