Systems software (Paper 1)

Question 1

what is an operating system

Answer 1

software that provides an interface between the user and the hardware in a computer system

Question 2

main functions of an operating system

Answer 2

provides a user interface
memory management and multitasking
peripheral management and device drivers
user management
file management

Question 3

what is a user interface

Answer 3

it allows the user to interact with the operating system

Question 4

what is a CLI

Answer 4

command line interface
requires users to interact with the operating system using text based commands
CLIs are more commonly used by advanced users
e.g. Raspbian (for rasberry pi)

Question 5

what is a GUI

Answer 5

graphical user interface
requires users to interact with the operating system using visual elements such as windows, icons, pointers
optimised for mouse and touch gesture input
e.g. windows, android

Question 6

what is a menu interface

Answer 6

• Successive menus presented to the user
• Single options chosen at each stage
• Often with buttons on a keypad
  e.g. vending machines, entertainment streaming services

Question 7

what is a natural language interface

Answer 7

a user interface in which the user and the system communicate via a natural (human) language.
e.g. search engines, virtual assistants

Question 8

advantages of command line interface

Answer 8

-uses less system resources
-commands are often faster to type than navigating menus

Question 9

disadvantages of command line interface

Answer 9

requires users to remember commands
typing errors are common
less intuitive than GUI

Question 10

advantages of GUI

Answer 10

intuitive, user-friendly
requires no previous knowledge to use
info is visual, making it easier to understand

Question 11

disadvantages of GUI

Answer 11

-uses more system resources
-can be slower to find and execute commands

Question 12

advantages of menu interface

Answer 12

-simple
-efficient

Question 13

disadvantages of menu interface

Answer 13

-limited flexibility
-accessibility issues

Question 14

advantages of NLI

Answer 14

-can be used by people with disabilities
-intuitive

Question 15

disadvantages of NLI

Answer 15

-not always reliable
-privacy concerns

Question 16

what is memory management

Answer 16

-process carried out by the operating system allocating main memory between different programs
-responsible for copying programs and data from secondary to primary storage as it is needed
-memory management makes multitasking possible

Question 17

what is multitasking

Answer 17

-only one application is processed by the CPU at a time, so the other processes must wait. the OS divides CPU time between open applications and may prioritise certain processes in order for instructions to be executed in the most efficient order

Question 18

what is peripheral management

Answer 18

-a process carried out by the operation system managing the way peripherals (hardware) interact with software
-the OS allocates system resources to peripherals to ensure efficient operation

Question 19

what is user management

Answer 19

-a process carried out by the operating system enabling different users to log onto a computer
-the OS is able to maintain settings for individual users, such as desktop backgrounds, icons etc.

Question 20

what is file management

Answer 20

file management is a process carried out by the operating system
it gives the user the ability to:
create files/folders
rename files/folders
copy files/folders
move files/folders
delete files/folders

Question 21

what is utility software

Answer 21

software designed to help maintain, enhance, and troubleshoot a computer system

Question 22

how do defragmentation softwares work

Answer 22

-files are stored on a hard disk in available spaces. ideally, entire files are stored together.
-however, as files are moved, deleted, and changed in size, lots of small gaps begin to appear on the disk.
-overtime, the disk becomes more and more fragmented. this makes reading and writing files slower as the read/write head has to move back and forth across the disk
-defragmentation software reorganises data on the hard drive to put defragmented files back together. it also moves files to collect all the free space together. this helps to prevent further fragmentation

Question 23

why don’t SSDs need defragmentation

Answer 23

they have no moving parts. they can access data just as quickly however its arranged

Question 24

three types of utility software

Answer 24

compression software
defragmentation software
encryption software

Question 25

what does compression software do

Answer 25

reduces the size of files by permanently or temporarily removing data from then compressed files take up less disk space and are quicker to download

Question 26

what does encryption software do

Answer 26

scrambles data to stop third parties from accessing it