Operating System

Concepts
CS204 Operating Systems

By:
Dilum Bandara

Outline
p

OS concepts
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Processes
Deadlocks
Memory management
Input/Output
Files
Security
Shell

Kernel
p User & kernel mode
p System calls
p

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Process
Process is a program in execution
p Includes:
p

n
n
n
n

executable program
program data
stack
various register status

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Process cont
p

In multitasking each process is

temporarily suspended from time to time
n

All information about the process should be

saved somewhere while suspending

Saved in the process table

When resuming process information is read

back from the process table

A process can create an another process

n

Forms a parent child relationship

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A process tree

n
n

A created 2 child processes, B & C

B created 3 child processes, D, E & F
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Deadlock

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Deadlocks in OSs
p

Occur due to resource sharing among

processes

If one process holds a resource & request

for another resource deadlock could occur

Example:
Process
Holds
Request
A
CD-ROM Tape drive
B
Tape drive CD-ROM

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Memory management
p

We need to run:
n
n

multiple programs at the same time

much larger programs

Protection becomes an issue while running

multiple programs
p Large program need large memory address
space
p

n
n
n

However main memory is limited

Need a virtual address space
More capacity is gained from hard disk
p Make use of swapping
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Input/Output
Many I/O devices used in modern
computers
p OS should manage them
p

Managed by the I/O subsystem

I/O software
n
n

Device dependent device drivers

Device independent

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Files
p

Data is stored in units called files on disks

& other media

Directories are used to organise/group

files

File system deals with files & directories

Files are located using the path name

In certain OSs I/O devices are also treated

as files
n

lp in Unix - /dev/lp
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Hierarchy of files

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Mounting file systems

Before mounting,
n

files on floppy are inaccessible

After mounting floppy on b,

n

files on floppy are part of file hierarchy

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Security
p

In multi-user systems privacy is important

n

Example:
n

Only authorised users should access files

-rwxrw-r-- firstyear user Jul 1 05:55 junk

OS should withstand other attacks

n
n
n

from unwanted intruders

from viruses
due to bugs in kernel & utilities

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The shell
Its another program that executes on top
of the OS
p Act as a command line interpreter
p It reads a command from standard input
& execute
p Commands can be classified as:
p

n
n

Internal commands cd, pwd

External commands ls, cp, sort

Examples
n

Bourne, Bash, C, ksh, Command prompt in DOS

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External commands
Commands which are implement as
individual programs
p Example:
n $ date
p

The shell creates a child process & run the

date program
n
n

While the child is running shell waits

When its finishes shell displays the prompt ($)
again & waits for the next command

External commands may run in foreground

or background
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Internal commands
p

Commands which are implemented within

the shell

Commands which need to keep track of

current state(s) are implemented within
the shell
n

cd change the current working directory

pwd reads the current working directory

Relative path names depend on current

working directory

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More on shell
p

Login shell
n

The shell that automatically executes when

you login

Changing the shell

n

Changing to a new default shell

p Need

to re-login

Creating additional shell sessions running on

top of, or concurrently with, the default shell

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Kernel
p

Kernel is the core of an OS

n

The real operating system

It is the program which:

n
n

provides services to applications

control resources
Log in Compilers Editors File

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U
t
i
l
i
t
i
e
s

Operating System
Machine language

Physical
devices

m
a
n
a
g
e
m
e
n
t

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Web browser Banking Systems

User & Kernel mode

p

OS is the portion of software that runs in

the kernel mode
n

Also called the supervisor mode

Its protected from user tampering

Programs that runs on top of the OS run

in the user mode

Programs running in the user mode make

use of the services offered by the kernel

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System calls
p

The interface between OS & user programs

is defined by set of system calls

These system calls exposes the services

offered by the OS to user programs

These are set of functions/methods

n
n
n

Varies form one OS to another

Mostly written in assembly language & machine
dependent
Libraries are provided to make them accessible
from languages like C/C++
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Use of System calls

p

Opening a file
n n = read(fd, buffer, nbytes)
n
n
n
n

n number of bytes read into buffer

fd file descriptor
buffer pointer to buffer
nbytes buffer size

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Use of System calls cont

Library procedure
Return to caller
User
Space

Trap to Kernel
Put the code to read in register
User program
.
number=read(fd,buffer,nbytes);
.

Kernel
Space

System call handler

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Implementations of system calls

p

POSIX
n
n

Used in UNIX & Linux

About 100 system calls

Win32 API
n
n
n
n
n
n

Windows Application Program Interface

Supported since Windows 95
More than 1000 system calls
With each OS release new system calls are
introduced
Most of these calls are carried out in user mode
Much more complex compared to POSIX
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POSIX & Win32 API

POSIX

Win32 API

Description

fork

CreateProcess

Create a new process

execve

Replace the image of a

process

open

CreateFile

Create or open an existing

file

read

ReadFile

Read data from file

write

WriteFile

Write data to file

mkdir

CreateDirectory

Create a new directory

rmdir

RemoveDirectory

Remove an empty directory

time

GetLocalTime

Get the current time

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