History of Operating System Last Updated : 28 Dec, 2024 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report An operating system is a type of software that acts as an interface between the user and the hardware. It is responsible for handling various critical functions of the computer and utilizing resources very efficiently so the operating system is also known as a resource manager. The operating system also acts like a government because just as the government has authority over everything, similarly the operating system has authority over all resources. Various tasks that are handled by OS are file management, task management, garbage management, memory management, process management, disk management, I/O management, peripherals management, etc. Generations of Operating Systems1940s-1950s: Early BeginningsComputers operated without operating systems (OS).Programs were manually loaded and run, one at a time.The first operating system was introduced in 1956. It was a batch processing system GM-NAA I/O (1956) that automated job handling.1960s: Multiprogramming and TimesharingIntroduction of multiprogramming to utilize CPU efficiently.Timesharing systems, like CTSS (1961) and Multics (1969), allowed multiple users to interact with a single system.1970s: Unix and Personal ComputersUnix (1971) revolutionized OS design with simplicity, portability, and multitasking.Personal computers emerged, leading to simpler OSs like CP/M (1974) and PC-DOS (1981).1980s: GUI and NetworkingGraphical User Interfaces (GUIs) gained popularity with systems like Apple Macintosh (1984) and Microsoft Windows (1985).Networking features, like TCP/IP in Unix, became essential.1990s: Linux and Advanced GUIsLinux (1991) introduced open-source development.Windows and Mac OS refined GUIs and gained widespread adoption.2000s-Present: Mobility and CloudMobile OSs like iOS (2007) and Android (2008) dominate.Cloud-based and virtualization technologies reshape computing, with OSs like Windows Server and Linux driving innovation.AI Integration - (Ongoing) With the growth of time, Artificial intelligence came into picture. Operating system integrates features of AI technology like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa and became more powerful and efficient in many way. These AI features with operating system create a entire new feature like voice commands, predictive text, and personalized recommendations.Note: The above mentioned OS basically tells how the OS evolved with the time by adding new features but it doesn't mean that only new generation OS are in use and previously OS system are not in use, according to the need, all these OS are still used in software industry. Operating systems have evolved from basic program execution to complex ecosystems supporting diverse devices and users.Function of Operating SystemMemory managementProcess managementFile managementDevice ManagementDeadlock PreventionInput/Output device managementHistory According to Types of Operating SystemsOperating Systems have evolved in past years. It went through several changes before getting its current form. 1. No OS - (0s to 1940s)As we know that before 1940s, there was no use of OS . Earlier, people are lacking OS in their computer system so they had to manually type instructions for each tasks in machine language(0-1 based language) . And at that time , it was very hard for users to implement even a simple task. And it was very time consuming and also not user-friendly . Because not everyone had that much level of understanding to understand the machine language and it required a deep understanding.2. Batch Processing Systems -(1950s) With the growth of time, batch processing system came into the market .Now Users had facility to write their programs on punch cards and load it to the computer operator. And then operator make different batches of similar types of jobs and then serve the different batch(group of jobs) one by one to the CPU .CPU first executes jobs of one batch and them jump to the jobs of other batch in a sequence manner.3. Multiprogramming Systems -(1960s and 1970s)Multiprogramming was the first operating system where actual revolution began. It provide user facility to load the multiple program into the memory and provide a specific portion of memory to each program. When one program is waiting for any I/O operations (which take much time) at that time the OS give permission to CPU to switch from previous program to other program(which is first in ready queue) for continuous execution of program with interrupt.4. Personal Computers Systems -(1970s)Unix (1971) revolutionized OS design with simplicity, portability, and multitasking. Personal computers emerged, leading to simpler OSs like CP/M (1974) and PC-DOS (1981).5. Introduction of GUI -(1980s) With the growth of time, Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) came. First time OS became more user-friendly and changed the way of people to interact with computer. GUI provides computer system visual elements which made user's interaction with computer more comfortable and user-friendly. User can just click on visual elements rather than typing commands. Here are some feature of GUI in Microsoft's windows icons, menus and windows.6. Networked Systems - (1990s) At 1980s, the craze of computer networks at it's peak .A special type of Operating Systems needed to manage the network communication. The OS like Novell NetWare and Windows NT were developed to manage network communication which provide users facility to work in collaborative environment and made file sharing and remote access very easy.7. Mobile Operating Systems - (2000s)Invention of smartphones create a big revolution in software industry, To handle the operation of smartphones , a special type of operating systems were developed. Some of them are : iOS and Android etc. These operating systems were optimized with the time and became more powerful.8. AI Integration – (2010s to ongoing) With the growth of time, Artificial intelligence came into picture. Operating system integrates features of AI technology like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa and became more powerful and efficient in many way. These AI features with operating system create a entire new feature like voice commands, predictive text, and personalized recommendations. Advantages of Operating SystemOperating System manages external and internal devices for example, printers, scanners, and other.Operating System provides interfaces and drivers for proper communication between system and hardware devices.Allows multiple applications to run simultaneously.Manages the execution of processes, ensuring that the system remains responsive.Organizes and manages files on storage devices.Operating system allocates resources to various applications and ensures their efficient utilization.Disadvantages of Operating System If an error occurred in your operating system, then there may be a chance that your data may not be recovered therefore always have a backup of your data.Threats and viruses can attack our operating system at any time, making it challenging for the OS to keep the system protected from these dangers.For learning about new operating system can be a time-consuming and challenging, Specially for those who using particular Operating system for example switching from Windows OS to Linux is difficult.Keeping an operating system up-to-date requires regular maintenance, which can be time-consuming.Operating systems consume system resources, including CPU, memory, and storage, which can affect the performance of other applications. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Booting and Dual Booting of Operating System mohitg593 Follow Improve Article Tags : Technical Scripter Computer Subject Operating Systems Computer Science Fundamentals Technical Scripter 2022 +1 More Similar Reads Operating System Tutorial An Operating System(OS) is a software that manages and handles hardware and software resources of a computing device. Responsible for managing and controlling all the activities and sharing of computer resources among different running applications.A low-level Software that includes all the basic fu 4 min read OS BasicsWhat is an Operating System?An Operating System is a System software that manages all the resources of the computing device. Acts as an interface between the software and different parts of the computer or the computer hardware. Manages the overall resources and operations of the computer. Controls and monitors the execution o 9 min read Functions of Operating SystemAn Operating System acts as a communication interface between the user and computer hardware. Its purpose is to provide a platform on which a user can execute programs conveniently and efficiently. The main goal of an operating system is to make the computer environment more convenient to use and to 7 min read Types of Operating SystemsOperating Systems can be categorized according to different criteria like whether an operating system is for mobile devices (examples Android and iOS) or desktop (examples Windows and Linux). Here, we are going to classify based on functionalities an operating system provides.8 Main Operating System 11 min read Need and Functions of Operating SystemsThe fundamental goal of an Operating System is to execute user programs and to make tasks easier. Various application programs along with hardware systems are used to perform this work. 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But, when the computer is started, the operating system must be present in the main memory or RAM of the system.What is Booting?When a computer sys 7 min read Types of OSBatch Processing Operating SystemIn the beginning, computers were very large types of machinery that ran from a console table. In all-purpose, card readers or tape drivers were used for input, and punch cards, tape drives, and line printers were used for output. Operators had no direct interface with the system, and job implementat 6 min read Multiprogramming in Operating SystemAs the name suggests, Multiprogramming means more than one program can be active at the same time. Before the operating system concept, only one program was to be loaded at a time and run. These systems were not efficient as the CPU was not used efficiently. For example, in a single-tasking system, 5 min read Time Sharing Operating SystemMultiprogrammed, batched systems provide an environment where various system resources were used effectively, but it did not provide for user interaction with computer systems. Time-sharing is a logical extension of multiprogramming. The CPU performs many tasks by switches that are so frequent that 5 min read What is a Network Operating System?The basic definition of an operating system is that the operating system is the interface between the computer hardware and the user. In daily life, we use the operating system on our devices which provides a good GUI, and many more features. 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As the operating system supports multi-programming, it needs to keep track of all the processes. For this task, the process control 6 min read Operations on ProcessesProcess operations refer to the actions or activities performed on processes in an operating system. These operations include creating, terminating, suspending, resuming, and communicating between processes. Operations on processes are crucial for managing and controlling the execution of programs i 5 min read Process Schedulers in Operating SystemA process is the instance of a computer program in execution. Scheduling is important in operating systems with multiprogramming as multiple processes might be eligible for running at a time.One of the key responsibilities of an Operating System (OS) is to decide which programs will execute on the C 7 min read Inter Process Communication (IPC)Processes need to communicate with each other in many situations. 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Understanding the differences between preemp 5 min read CPU Scheduling in OSCPU Scheduling in Operating SystemsCPU scheduling is a process used by the operating system to decide which task or process gets to use the CPU at a particular time. This is important because a CPU can only handle one task at a time, but there are usually many tasks that need to be processed. The following are different purposes of a 8 min read CPU Scheduling CriteriaCPU scheduling is essential for the system's performance and ensures that processes are executed correctly and on time. Different CPU scheduling algorithms have other properties and the choice of a particular algorithm depends on various factors. Many criteria have been suggested for comparing CPU s 6 min read Multiple-Processor Scheduling in Operating SystemIn multiple-processor scheduling multiple CPUs are available and hence Load Sharing becomes possible. 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Threads have the same properties as the process so they are called lightweight processes. On single core processor, threads are are rapidly switched giving the illusion that they are executing in parallel. In multi-core systems, threads can exec 8 min read Multithreading in Operating SystemA thread is a path that is followed during a program’s execution. The majority of programs written nowadays run as a single thread. For example, a program is not capable of reading keystrokes while making drawings. These tasks cannot be executed by the program at the same time. This problem can be s 7 min read Process SynchronizationIntroduction of Process SynchronizationProcess Synchronization is used in a computer system to ensure that multiple processes or threads can run concurrently without interfering with each other.The main objective of process synchronization is to ensure that multiple processes access shared resources without interfering with each other an 10 min read Race Condition VulnerabilityRace condition occurs when multiple threads read and write the same variable i.e. they have access to some shared data and they try to change it at the same time. In such a scenario threads are “racing†each other to access/change the data. This is a major security vulnerability.What is Race Conditi 10 min read Critical Section in SynchronizationA critical section is a segment of a program where shared resources, such as memory, files, or ports, are accessed by multiple processes or threads. 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The algorithm uses two shared variables to manage the turn-taking mechanis 15+ min read Semaphores in Process SynchronizationSemaphores are a tool used in operating systems to help manage how different processes (or programs) share resources, like memory or data, without causing conflicts. A semaphore is a special kind of synchronization data that can be used only through specific synchronization primitives. Semaphores ar 15+ min read Semaphores and its typesA semaphore is a tool used in computer science to manage how multiple programs or processes access shared resources, like memory or files, without causing conflicts. Semaphores are compound data types with two fields one is a Non-negative integer S.V(Semaphore Value) and the second is a set of proce 6 min read Producer Consumer Problem using Semaphores | Set 1The Producer-Consumer problem is a classic synchronization issue in operating systems. It involves two types of processes: producers, which generate data, and consumers, which process that data. Both share a common buffer. The challenge is to ensure that the producer doesn't add data to a full buffe 4 min read Readers-Writers Problem | Set 1 (Introduction and Readers Preference Solution)The readers-writer problem in operating systems is about managing access to shared data. It allows multiple readers to read data at the same time without issues but ensures that only one writer can write at a time, and no one can read while writing is happening. This helps prevent data corruption an 7 min read Dining Philosopher Problem Using SemaphoresThe Dining Philosopher Problem states that K philosophers are seated around a circular table with one chopstick between each pair of philosophers. There is one chopstick between each philosopher. A philosopher may eat if he can pick up the two chopsticks adjacent to him. One chopstick may be picked 11 min read Hardware Synchronization Algorithms : Unlock and Lock, Test and Set, SwapProcess Synchronization problems occur when two processes running concurrently share the same data or same variable. The value of that variable may not be updated correctly before its being used by a second process. Such a condition is known as Race Around Condition. There are a software as well as 4 min read Deadlocks & Deadlock Handling MethodsIntroduction of Deadlock in Operating SystemA deadlock is a situation where a set of processes is blocked because each process is holding a resource and waiting for another resource acquired by some other process. In this article, we will discuss deadlock, its necessary conditions, etc. in detail.Deadlock is a situation in computing where two 11 min read Conditions for Deadlock in Operating SystemA deadlock is a situation where a set of processes is blocked because each process is holding a resource and waiting for another resource acquired by some other process. In this article, we will discuss what deadlock is and the necessary conditions required for deadlock.What is Deadlock?Deadlock is 8 min read Banker's Algorithm in Operating SystemBanker's Algorithm is a resource allocation and deadlock avoidance algorithm used in operating systems. It ensures that a system remains in a safe state by carefully allocating resources to processes while avoiding unsafe states that could lead to deadlocks.The Banker's Algorithm is a smart way for 8 min read Wait For Graph Deadlock Detection in Distributed SystemDeadlocks are a fundamental problem in distributed systems. A process may request resources in any order and a process can request resources while holding others. A Deadlock is a situation where a set of processes are blocked as each process in a Distributed system is holding some resources and that 5 min read Handling DeadlocksDeadlock is a situation where a process or a set of processes is blocked, waiting for some other resource that is held by some other waiting process. It is an undesirable state of the system. In other words, Deadlock is a critical situation in computing where a process, or a group of processes, beco 8 min read Deadlock Prevention And AvoidanceDeadlock prevention and avoidance are strategies used in computer systems to ensure that different processes can run smoothly without getting stuck waiting for each other forever. Think of it like a traffic system where cars (processes) must move through intersections (resources) without getting int 5 min read Deadlock Detection And RecoveryDeadlock Detection and Recovery is the mechanism of detecting and resolving deadlocks in an operating system. In operating systems, deadlock recovery is important to keep everything running smoothly. A deadlock occurs when two or more processes are blocked, waiting for each other to release the reso 6 min read Deadlock Ignorance in Operating SystemIn this article we will study in brief about what is Deadlock followed by Deadlock Ignorance in Operating System. What is Deadlock? If each process in the set of processes is waiting for an event that only another process in the set can cause it is actually referred as called Deadlock. In other word 5 min read Recovery from Deadlock in Operating SystemIn today's world of computer systems and multitasking environments, deadlock is an undesirable situation that can bring operations to a halt. When multiple processes compete for exclusive access to resources and end up in a circular waiting pattern, a deadlock occurs. To maintain the smooth function 8 min read Like