OS Fundamentals
What is an Operating System?
It is the main software that manages computer hardware and software resources and allows users to interact with the computer.
What does GUI stand for?
Graphical User Interface.
What is a process in an operating system?
A process is a program that is currently running.
What is a file system?
A system used by an operating system to organize and manage files and directories on a storage device.
Which operating system family is open-source and widely used on web servers?
Linux.
Can you name three examples of operating systems?
Windows, Linux and macOS. Android and iOS are also correct examples.
What is a Command Line Interface (CLI)?
A text-based interface that allows users to control a computer by typing commands.
What is a thread?
A thread is a unit of execution within a process. A process can contain multiple threads.
Which file system is commonly associated with modern Windows installations: FAT32, NTFS or ext4?
NTFS.
What does open-source software mean?
Software whose source code is available to be inspected, modified and redistributed under the terms of its licence.
What is the main function of an operating system?
To manage hardware and software resources, run applications and provide an interface for users.
What is the kernel of an operating system?
The core component of the operating system that manages memory, processes and communication with hardware.
What is multitasking?
The ability of an operating system to manage multiple tasks or processes so that they can make progress concurrently.
What is the purpose of file permissions?
They control which users or programs can read, modify or execute files.
What is virtualization? Give an example of a virtualization program.
Virtualization allows virtual computers to run on a physical machine. Examples include VirtualBox and VMware Workstation.
What is the difference between hardware and software? Give two examples of each.
Hardware consists of physical components, such as the CPU and RAM. Software consists of programs and data, such as Windows and a web browser.
What is a device driver, and why does an operating system need one?
A device driver is software that allows the operating system to communicate with a hardware device, such as a printer or graphics card.
What is virtual memory, and when might an operating system use it?
Virtual memory uses storage space as an extension of RAM. The operating system may use it when physical memory is insufficient.
Why is it important to install operating system updates regularly?
Updates fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, improve stability and sometimes introduce new features.
What is the main difference between a virtual machine and a container?
A virtual machine runs a separate guest operating system, while a container shares the host operating system's kernel and isolates an application and its dependencies.
What is the name of the action of turning on a computer and start loading the operating system?
Booting.
A developer needs to automate repetitive tasks and execute commands without clicking through menus. Which interface would generally be more suitable, and why?
A Command Line Interface (CLI), because commands can be scripted and executed automatically.
Several applications are waiting to use the CPU. What does the operating system's task scheduler do?
It determines which process or thread gets CPU time and when, according to the scheduling policy.
A developer's application cannot access a protected file because the current user does not have the required rights. Which operating system mechanism is responsible?
The permission system, also known as access control.
Your team needs to deploy many lightweight application instances on a Linux server. Why might containers be a better choice than running a separate virtual machine for every instance?
Containers usually require fewer resources and start faster because they share the host OS kernel instead of running a separate guest operating system for each instance.