Understanding Operating Systems: File, Task, and User Management

File Management

File management is the system an operating system uses to organize and keep track of data. The operating system stores data in units called files, determines how files are stored, efficiently uses available storage space, creates a record of all file usage, and carries out every task related to files and folders.

File names typically have this structure:

filename.extension

Task and User Management

Task Management

Task management is the part of the operating system that controls the running of one or more programs on a computer simultaneously. Today's widely used operating systems support multitasking, allowing multiple tasks to run concurrently, taking turns using the computer's resources.

User Management

With user management, the operating system provides a method for creating multiple user accounts on a single computer. You can configure and customize each user account based on the individual user's needs and configure its security privileges.

PC Operating Systems

The most commonly used operating systems for desktop and laptop computers worldwide include:

• Microsoft Windows
• Apple macOS
• GNU/Linux

Software Licensing

Software and operating systems can be classified by their licensing policy:

Proprietary Software

Proprietary software is privately owned and controlled by its developer. Examples include:

• Microsoft Windows (developed from the earlier MS-DOS)
• Apple macOS (designed for Macintosh computers)

Open-Source Software

Open-source software has its source code made available under a license that allows anyone to study, change, and distribute the software for any purpose. Open-source software is often developed collaboratively in a public manner.

One of the most successful open-source products is the GNU/Linux operating system, a Unix-like operating system, and its derivative Android, an operating system for mobile devices.

Open-source software gives users the freedom to:

1. Use the program for any purpose.
2. Study how the program works and adapt it to their specific needs.
3. Distribute copies of the program to anyone.
4. Improve the program and make those improvements public.

Source code is a collection of computer instructions, potentially with comments, written using a human-readable programming language, usually as ordinary text. Programmers use source code to specify the actions a computer should perform. Source code is often transformed by an assembler or compiler into binary machine code that the computer understands.