Contents page

Index (83KB)

operating system


operating system:: [techspeak] n. (Often abbreviated `OS') The
   foundation software of a machine, of course; that which schedules
   tasks, allocates storage, and presents a default interface to the
   user between applications.  The facilities an operating system
   provides and its general design philosophy exert an extremely
   strong influence on programming style and on the technical cultures
   that grow up around its host machines.  Hacker folklore has been
   shaped primarily by the UNIX, ITS, TOPS-10,
   TOPS-20/TWENEX, WAITS, CP/M, MS-DOS, and
   Multics operating systems (most importantly by ITS and
   UNIX).