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Introduction to
Operating
Systems
Go under the hood of every computer you have ever used. Processes, memory, file systems, and the architecture that makes software possible.
What You'll Learn
A full semester of introduction to operating systems — completed at your own pace, with no deadlines or fixed class times.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Define and explain the core functions of operating systems, including security, resource management, and communication facilitation
- Describe how operating systems manage hardware and software resources efficiently, and classify different operating system categories with their features
- Identify and explore graphical user interfaces, command line interfaces, batch files, and the boot process
- Apply knowledge in managing processes, threads, and multitasking
- Analyze different job scheduling algorithms, memory management techniques, and memory allocation schemes including virtual and cache memory
- Evaluate the effectiveness of various peripheral devices, data storage technologies, and file systems
- Discuss networking concepts and computer security risks along with mitigation strategies
- Create and use virtualization environments by installing VirtualBox and Linux; explore the functionalities of the Java Virtual Machine
Major Course Topics
Course chapters and lessons
Introduction to Operating Systems has 10 chapters across 44 instructional hours, as listed in the course syllabus. Expand any chapter to see the lessons inside it.
- Chapters
- 10
- Lessons
- 83
- Instructional hours
- 44 hrs
- Semester hours
- 3
Chapter 1
Operating System Foundations
- 1.1 The Operating System's Role: Essential Functions and Why Every Computer Depends on One
- 1.2 Software From the Ground Up: A Beginner's Introduction to Computer Software
- 1.3 One Size Does Not Fit All: The Different Categories of Operating Systems
- 1.4 Building Systems in Layers: How a Layered Architecture Organizes an Operating System
- 1.5 Making Computers Accessible: The Design and Purpose of Graphical User Interfaces
- 1.6 Shrunk but Powerful: Exploring the Features and Variety of Mobile Operating Systems
- 1.7 Typing Your Way Through the System: How Command Line Interfaces Work
- 1.8 Automating With Text: What Batch Files Are and What They Can Do
- 1.9 From Power Button to Desktop: What Happens When a Computer Boots Up
Chapter 2
Process Management: Scheduling, Multitasking, and System Calls
- 2.1 More Than One Thing at a Time: How Multiprocessing Systems Harness Multiple Processors
- 2.2 Programs in Motion: What Processes Are and How Operating Systems Handle Them
- 2.3 Bridging Programs and the OS: The Mechanism and Purpose of System Calls
- 2.4 The Art of Multitasking: How an Operating System Keeps Many Programs Running at Once
- 2.5 First Come, First Served? The Basics of Job Scheduling in Computing
- 2.6 Choosing Who Goes Next: An Overview of CPU Scheduling Policies
- 2.7 Interrupting or Waiting: The Difference Between Preemptive and Non-Preemptive Scheduling
- 2.8 Lightweight Execution Units: An Introduction to Threads and Their Purpose
Chapter 3
Concurrency, Synchronization, and Deadlock Prevention
- 3.1 Coordinating Threads: How Operating Systems Keep Parallel Execution Under Control
- 3.2 When Processes Share Resources: Mechanisms for Synchronizing Concurrent Activity
- 3.3 Signals and Atomic Actions: How Interrupts Keep System Operations Reliable
- 3.4 One at a Time: The Principles of Concurrency Control and Mutual Exclusion
- 3.5 Stuck Forever? How Deadlocks Happen and How Systems Prevent Them
- 3.6 Commit or Roll Back: How Transactions Safeguard System Integrity Under Any Condition
- 3.7 Working Together: How Cooperating Processes Share Data and Coordinate Tasks
Chapter 4
Memory Management
- 4.1 The Computer's Workspace: A Broad Overview of How Computer Memory Works
- 4.2 Holding On to Data: The Technologies and Techniques Behind Data Storage
- 4.3 Measuring Digital Space: From Bits and Bytes to Terabytes and Beyond
- 4.4 Storage Through the Decades: A Historical Look at How Data Storage Has Evolved
- 4.5 Making the Most of Memory: Why Memory Management Is Essential to System Performance
- 4.6 Where Programs Live: How Address Spaces Are Assigned and Managed
- 4.7 Memory Beyond Physical Limits: The Concept and Mechanics of Virtual Memory
- 4.8 Dividing Memory Into Pages: How Paged Allocation Enables Efficient Memory Use
- 4.9 Speed Through Proximity: What Cache Memory Is and Why It Matters
- 4.10 Keeping Data Consistent: The Challenges of Memory Coherence in Multi-Processor Systems
- 4.11 Fitting Programs Into Memory and Cleaning Up After Them: Allocation Strategies and Garbage Collection
Chapter 5
Peripheral Devices and I/O Systems
- 5.1 Beyond the Box: An Introduction to Peripheral Devices and What They Do
- 5.2 All the Pieces Together: The Components That Make Up an Information System
- 5.3 The Highway Inside Your Computer: What the System Bus Does and How It Works
- 5.4 Input, Output, or Both? How Peripheral Devices Are Classified and Why It Matters
- 5.5 Getting to the Device: Different Methods for Accessing Peripheral Hardware
- 5.6 Talking to Each Other: How Devices Communicate and Exchange Data Within a System
- 5.7 I/O Ports Explained: Serial, Parallel, USB, and Other Connection Points
- 5.8 Internal Buses and Data Pathways: How Information Travels Between Components
- 5.9 Where Data Is Kept: A Classification of Storage Device Types and Their Use Cases
- 5.10 Light as a Storage Medium: How Optical Storage Systems Read and Write Data
- 5.11 Storage Without Moving Parts: An Introduction to Flash Memory Technology
- 5.12 Redundancy by Design: How RAID Technology Protects Data and Boosts Performance
Chapter 6
File Systems and Data Management
- 6.1 From Disk to Data: The Technologies That Underpin Modern Storage Systems
- 6.2 The Anatomy of a File System: How Storage Is Logically Organized
- 6.3 The Librarian of the OS: What File Managers Do and Why They Matter
- 6.4 Where Files Really Live: How Data Is Physically Allocated on Storage Devices
- 6.5 Naming and Recognizing Files: What File Extensions Tell You About File Types
- 6.6 Shortcuts and Connections: The Role and Types of Links in File Systems
- 6.7 Who Can See What: Mechanisms for Controlling Access to Files and Folders
- 6.8 File System Variety, Sharing, and Collaboration: Major Types and How Users Access Data Together
Chapter 7
Computer Networks: Architecture, Layers, and Protocols
- 7.1 Connected by Design: A Broad Introduction to How Computer Networks Work
- 7.2 A Universal Language for Networking: Unpacking the Seven-Layer OSI Framework
- 7.3 Frame by Frame: What the Data Link Layer Does in a Networked Environment
- 7.4 Routing the Way: Protocols and Logic Behind the Network Layer
- 7.5 Getting Data Ready for the User: The Role of the Presentation Layer
- 7.6 Reliable Delivery: How the Transport Layer Manages End-to-End Communication
Chapter 8
The Internet, Connectivity, and Network Operations
- 8.1 Opening and Closing Conversations: The Purpose and Function of the Session Layer
- 8.2 From ARPANET to Everywhere: Tracing the Origins and Growth of the Internet
- 8.3 Breaking Data Into Pieces: How Internet Packets Are Structured and Sent
- 8.4 Digital Diplomacy: How Protocols Set the Rules for Every Network Conversation
- 8.5 Endpoints of Communication: What Network Sockets Are and How They Enable Connectivity
- 8.6 The Network's Operating Brain: How NOS Platforms Coordinate Shared Computing Resources
- 8.7 Staying Safe in a Digital World: The Fundamentals of Computer Security
Chapter 9
Computer Security and Threat Prevention
- 9.1 Malicious Code in Many Forms: A Guide to the Types of Computer Viruses
- 9.2 What Can Go Wrong: A Broad Look at the Security Risks Facing Computer Systems
- 9.3 Layers of Protection: How Computer Security Is Organized by Category
- 9.4 Rules That Protect Systems: What Effective Computer Security Policies Look Like
- 9.5 Stopping Threats Before They Strike: Proactive Strategies for Threat Prevention
- 9.6 Hardening the System: Security Measures That Keep Operating Environments Safe
- 9.7 Security Built Into the OS: How Operating Systems Protect Against Unauthorized Access
- 9.8 Managing User Access in Single and Multi-User Environments: Authentication, Permissions, and Secure Session Control
- 9.9 Your First Line of Defense: How Antivirus Software Detects and Removes Threats
Chapter 10
Virtualization and Virtual Machines
- 10.1 What Virtualization Is: Core Concepts and How It Works
- 10.2 Why Virtualization Matters: Business Benefits, Cost Savings, and Scalability
- 10.3 Not All Virtual Machines Are the Same: Understanding the Different Types and Their Uses
- 10.4 Virtualized Environments, Full Functionality: How VMs Replicate OS Capabilities
- 10.5 Hands-On Virtualization: Getting Oracle VM VirtualBox Up and Running on Your Machine
- 10.6 Write Once, Run Anywhere: How the Java Virtual Machine Makes Cross-Platform Code Possible
These chapters come straight from the official course syllabus, which also sets out the graded assignment and the proctored final exam.
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Go under the hood of every computer you have ever used. Processes, memory, file systems, and the architecture that makes software possible.
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