Lecturer : Dasun Nilanjana

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 1

Booting a Computer
 In computing, booting (also known as "booting
up") is a bootstrapping process that starts
operating systems when the user turns on a
computer system.

 A boot sequence is the initial set of operations

that the computer performs when power is
switched on. The bootloader typically loads the
main operating system for the computer.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 2

 Boot loader
 A computer's central processor can only execute program code found in
Read-Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM).

 Modern operating systems and application program code and data are
stored on nonvolatile data storage devices, such as hard disk drives, CD,
DVD, USB flash drive, and floppy disk.

 When a computer is first powered on, it does not have an operating system
in ROM or RAM.

 The computer must initially execute a small program stored in ROM along
with the bare minimum of data needed to access the nonvolatile devices
from which the operating system programs and data are loaded into RAM.

 The small program that starts this sequence of loading into RAM, is known
as a bootstrap loader, bootstrap or boot loader.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 3

Booting…

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 4

Second-stage boot loader
 The small program is most often not itself an operating
system, but only a second-stage boot loader, such as
GRUB, BOOTMGR, Syslinux, LILO or NTLDR.

 It will then be able to load the operating system properly,

and finally transfer execution to it.

 The system will initialize itself, and may load device drivers
and other programs that are needed for the normal
operation of the OS.

 Many bootloaders (like GRUB, BOOTMGR, LILO, and

NTLDR) can be configured to give the user multiple booting
choices.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 5

Boot devices
 The boot device is the device from which the
operating system is loaded.

 A modern PC BIOS supports booting from

various devices, typically a local hard disk
drive (or one of several partitions on such a
disk), an optical disc drive, a USB device (flash
drive, hard disk drive, optical disc drive, etc.),
or a network interface card (using PXE).

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 6

Operating System Categories
 Real time OS :
 This type of operating systems are
used to control Scientific devices
and similar small instruments where
memory and resources are crucial.

 These type of devices have very

limited or no end user utilities , so
more effort should go into making
the OS really memory efficient and
fast (less coding), so as to minimize
the execution time ,in turn saving on
power as well.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 7

 Operating System Categories
 Single User single Task:
This type of OS is just better
version of Real time OS ,where
one User can use the computer to
do one thing at a time, which
means that doing thing more than
one thing at a time is difficult in this
type of OS.

The handhelds or the palmtop

computers are good examples of
this type of systems.

E x : Windows mobile etc.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 8

 Operating System Categories
 Single User Multi Task:

 This is the most common type of

operating system used today.
Microsoft windows and Apple
Macintosh are the living
examples of this Genre.

 These can perform Multi tasking

operations, like for example
playing a multimedia file,
downloading a file from the
internet and editing a Text file
simultaneously.

 E x: Windows vista, Mac X tiger

etc.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 9

 Operating System Categories
 Multi User Multi task:
 This type of operating
systems allow multiple users
to use the system resources
simultaneously.

 This should not be confused

with the multi user accounts
in windows  or similar, the
main difference being, the
network administrator is the
only actual user in Windows
or Macs and one more
difference being that in OS
like Unix more than one user
can simultaneously login
while this is not possible in
windows.

 E x: Unix, Linux, Solaris etc..

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 10

Operating System Categories
 Multithreading
 Operating systems that allow different parts of a software
program to run concurrently. Operating systems that would
fall into this category are:

 Ex: Linux, Unix, Windows 2000

 Multiprocessing
 An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing
more than one computer processor. Below are some
examples of multiprocessing operating systems.

 Ex: Linux, Unix, Windows 2000

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 11

          
Functions of OS
 Today most operating systems perform the following important
functions:

1. Processor management, that is, assignment of processor to different

tasks being performed by the computer system.

2. Memory management, that is, allocation of main memory and other

storage areas to the system programs as well as user programs and
data.

3. Input/output management, that is, co-ordination and assignment of the

different output and input device while one or more programs are being
executed.

4. File management, that is, the storage of file of various storage devices
to another. It also allows all files to be easily changed and modified
through the use of text editors or some other files manipulation routines.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 12

 Functions of OS
5. Establishment and enforcement of a priority system. That is, it
determines and maintains the order in which jobs are to be
executed in the computer system.

6. Automatic transition from job to job as directed by special

control statements.

7. Interpretation of commands and instructions.

8. Coordination and assignment of compilers, assemblers, utility

programs, and other software to the various user of the
computer system.

9. Facilities easy communication between the computer system

and the computer operator (human). It also establishes data
security and integrity.

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 13

Virtual Machine
 A virtual machine (VM) is a
software implementation of a
machine (i.e. a computer) that
executes programs like a physical
machine.
 Virtual machines are separated
into two major categories, based
on their use and degree of
correspondence to any real Ex: Windows Virtual PC
machine.
 A system virtual machine
provides a complete system
platform which supports the
execution of a complete operating
system (OS).
 In contrast, a process virtual
machine is designed to run a
single program, which means that
it supports a single process.
Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 14
GUI Vs. CLI
Characteristic CLI GUI
Ease Not much easy since User friendly. Very
need to memorize easy to use even for
commands novice user.
Control More Less
Multitasking Not much easy Easy
Speed High specially for Low
advanced tasks
Resource Very low High
consuming
Scripting Allowed Allowed but not
directly
Security High Low

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 15

Thank You !

Dasun Nilanjana (BIT - HDIT, MIEEE) - A/L ICT 16