Functions of an operating system

The basic functions of an operating system are:

Performs basic computer tasks eg managing the various peripheral devices eg mouse, keyboard
Provides a user interface, e.g. command line, graphical user interface (GUI)
Handles system resources such as computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices
Provides file management which refers to the way that the operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves and saves data.
Booting the computer

Performs basic computer tasks

The operating system performs basic computer tasks, such as managing the various peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard and printers. For example, most operating systems now are plug and play which means a device such as a printer will automatically be detected and configured without any user intervention.

Provides a user interface

A user interacts with software through the user interface. The two main types of user interfaces are: command line and a graphical user interface (GUI). With a command line interface, the user interacts with the operating system by typing commands to perform specific tasks. An example of a command line interface is DOS (disk operating system).

Handles system resources

The operating system also handles system resources such as the computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices. Programs and input methods are constantly competing for the attention of the CPU and demand memory, storage and input/output bandwidth.

Provides file management
The operating system also handles the organisation and tracking of files and directories (folders) saved or retrieved from a computer disk. The file management system allows the user to perform such tasks as creating files and directories, renaming files, coping and moving files, and deleting files.