BCA / B.Tech 12 min read

System Programs in Operating System

System Programs in Operating System:


System Programs are programs that work with the operating system and provide various types of services to the user. These programs act as a bridge between the user and the hardware, enhancing the functionality of the operating system and providing useful tools for users. The main purpose of system programs is to effectively manage the computer system and provide convenience to the user.

Features of System Programs:

  • Simplicity: Provide a simple and accessible interface for easy interaction with the OS.
  • System Control: Used to control the computer's hardware and software.
  • Independence: These programs are independent and run with the help of the OS.
  • Diversity: They have various functionalities like file management, I/O operations, and networking.

Types of System Programs:

1. File Management Programs: For creating, deleting, reading, writing, and organizing files (e.g., `ls`, `cp`, `rm`).
2. Process Management Programs: For creating, executing, and terminating processes (e.g., `ps`, `top`, `kill`).
3. Status and Information Programs: Provide information about the system's status and resources (e.g., `df`, `free`, `uptime`).
4. Communication Programs: Used to establish communication between users and over the network (e.g., `mail`, `ftp`, `ssh`).
5. Programming Language and Library Programs: Help users create applications using programming languages and libraries (e.g., `gcc`, `gdb`, `make`).
6. Utility Programs: Used to simplify and make various user tasks efficient, such as backup, data recovery, and disk defragmentation (e.g., `tar`, `gzip`).

Functions of System Programs:

  • File and Data Management.
  • Process and Resource Management.
  • Communication.
  • System Information.
  • Security and Protection Management.

Advantages of System Programs:

  • Ease of Use.
  • Efficiency.
  • Automation.
  • Maintenance.

Limitations of System Programs:

  • Limited Customization.
  • Dependence on System Resources.
  • System Specificity.

In this Chapter

System Programs in Operating System
Distributed System in Operating System
Real-Time System in Operating System
System Calls in Operating System
Structure of an Operating System
Layered Design of an Operating System Structure
UNIX in Operating System
Virtual Machine in Operating System
Kernel-Based Operating System
Process Concept in Operating System
Interacting Processes in Operating System
Threads in Operating System
Fundamentals of Scheduling in Operating System
Scheduling Criteria in Operating System
Long, Medium, and Short-Term Scheduling
Scheduling Algorithms in Operating System
Structure of a Concurrent System
Critical Region in Operating System
Critical Section in Operating System
Inter-process Communication (IPC) in Operating System
Monitors in Operating System
Semaphores in Operating System
Semaphore Implementation & Uses in Operating System
Logical and Physical Address in Operating System
Swapping in Operating System
Contiguous Allocation in Operating System
Segmentation in Operating System
Paging in Operating System
Virtual Memory using Segmentation in Operating System
Interprocess Communication Protocol in Operating System
Network Operating System
Design Issues in Distributed File System
Network Structure in Operating System
Structure of a Distributed System
File System and Coordination in Operating System
History of Linux in Operating System
Linux Commands
Programmer Interface & File Manipulation in Linux
Process Control in Linux
Kernel & Signals in Linux
File System in Linux
Blocks and Inodes in Linux
System Editors in Linux
Character Transliteration in Linux
The `ed` Line Editor in Linux
The `vi` Editor and Its Commands
Shell Scripting in Linux
Looping & Decision Making in Linux Shell Scripting
Variables & File Name Expansion in Linux
Arrays in Linux Shell Scripting
Subprograms (Functions) in Linux Shell Scripting
C Interface with Linux
Simple Shell Programs in Linux
BCA Part-1 | Operating Systems | Semester-I | MDSU Exam Paper 2023 (Held in 2024)
What is an Operating System (OS)
Operating System (OS) All Important Questions and Answers in English (MDSU)
BCA || Operating System 2025 Paper || MDSU Exam Paper
BCA | OS(Operating System) 2023 Paper | MDSU Exam Paper
Types of Operating Systems
Goals of an Operating System
Operations of an Operating System
Resource Allocation & Functions in an Operating System
Classes of Operating System
Batch Processing in Operating System
Multiprocessing in Operating System
Time-Sharing in Operating System