Do You Need an Operating System?

Peripherals and system parts are a collection of electronics that work together in order to perform a specific task. The program that every computer uses to control and manage all these parts is called the operating system (OS).

For example, a user that wants to write a document and print it out on a network printer needs an application like Microsoft Word to accomplish this job. Microsoft Word works with the OS in order to accomplish all the word processing tasks. The operating system controls all the input and output functions. All the personal computers, the servers and the handheld devices require an OS in order to function.

The operating system works like an interpreter between software applications and the hardware. An individual interacts with the computer hardware through an application, like Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop, etc. Software applications are made for a particular purpose. On the other hand the OS is responsible for the communication between the software application and the computer's hardware.

When a PC is powered on it loads the operating system from the hard disk into RAM. The part of the operating system that interacts directly with the hardware is called kernel. The part of the operating system that it is visible to the user is called shell. The user can use the shell from the command line interface (CLI) or from the graphical user interface (GUI).

The user that uses the CLI interacts directly with the OS in a text-based environment by typing commands at a command prompt. The computer executes the command and provides textual output. The user can also use the GUI and control the computer from an environment that uses graphical images, multimedia, as well as text. This is more user-friendly and requires less knowledge than CLI. Therefore, most users work with GUI environments. Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems offer both GUI and CLI.

All the modern operating systems allow the user to multitask. The OS keeps track of which resources are used by which software program.

In order to work with devices that are not directly attached to the PC, a special software application must be installed that allows a device to send and receive data from the net. This is called redirector and usually it is an integral part of the OS but sometimes you need to install it separately as a network client. After you install it, the OS becomes a network OS (NOS).

My New Operating System

Nowadays you can find several different OS available. The most well-known are the following:

Microsoft: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 2008 Server, UNIX-Based: IBM AIX, Hewlett Packard HPUX, and Sun Solaris, Linux-Based: Ubuntu, Fedora, Macintosh OS X.

While all the above OS require a commercial license, there are more than a few OS released under a different kind of licensing arrangement. This is called GNU Public License (GPL).

Commercial licenses typically prohibit users to modify the software in any way. Windows 7, Mac OS X and UNIX are commercial operating systems.

On the other hand, the GNU Public License (GPL) permits users to modify and improve the program, if they want, to better suit their needs. The most common operating systems that use the GLP model are Linux and BSD.

All the operating systems need a specific amount of hardware resources. For example they have minimum RAM requirements, minimum available hard disk space requirements, minimum processor requirements, etc.

Companies usually state both a minimum and recommended level of hardware components. When you install the minimum defined hardware configuration, the computers' performance is frequently poor and cannot support any additional programs. The recommended hardware is always the best option. If you purchase the recommended hardware you will be able to support standard as well as additional applications and resources.

Almost all the OS developers test several hardware components and verify that they are compatible with the OS. Before purchasing and installing a new peripheral or hardware module always confirm that it is certified to work with your operating system.

Picking an appropriate operating system requires numerous features to be considered before making a final decision.

First, you have to make sure that the OS being considered supports totally the requirements of the user. Verify for example if the OS supports the future programs. After that, check if the available hardware resources are sufficient to support the new operating system. For instance check the RAM, the CPU, and the available hard disk space.

Another very important factor that you have to consider is the total cost of ownership (TCO). This is something that can really change your final decision. This not only includes the costs of purchasing and installing the operating system, but also the support costs.

Operating System Options and Installation Methods

An OS is installed on the computers' hard disk, inside an area called hard disk partition. There are several ways for installing a new operating system. The installation method is based on the system hardware and end-user requirements. Generally, you have four basic options for the installation of a new operating system:

Clean Installation

We can perform a clean installation on a new computer or in those cases where there is no upgrade path between the current operating system and the new one. This type of installation deletes all data on the hard disks partition where the current operating system is installed. A new PC requires, of course a clean installation. You can also do a clean install when the current operating system installation has corrupted files or does not work properly.

Upgrade Installation

Sometimes, it is also possible to perform an upgrade. When you perform an upgrade, OS configuration settings, installed programs and data are preserved. With this installation you have nothing to worry about, because you will not lose any personal data. You will just replace the old operating system files with the new, upgraded files. However, keep in mind that after the upgrade the applications and drivers that are incompatible with the new OS will not work as expected.

Multi-boot Installation

Another option is to install multiple operating systems on a single computer. You can install each OS inside a different disk partition and this way every OS will have its own files and configuration settings. On multi-boot installations, the users see a menu when they open their computers and they have to select the desired OS. Of course, only one operating system can run at a time.

Virtualization

This is relative new technique that is often used on servers. With virtualization we can run numerous copies of an operating system on a single set of hardware and create this way several virtual machines. Every single virtual machine works like a separate computer. This technology makes a single physical hardware resource to appear like multiple logical resources.

Before starting any operating system installation you have to make sure that all the hardware is certified to work with the new operating system. Also confirm that the hardware resources meet the minimum installation requirements. Moreover, when you perform an upgrade it is a very good practice to perform a virus scan before starting the installation and a complete full backup of all your personal data.