Person talking to equipment and vice versa

Hundreds of them were built. Tons of versions and distributions. Some of them are niche curiosities, others are used by a few, but they are of great importance because they are responsible for key pieces of computer and network infrastructure. Despite such a multitude, there are no more than two dominants in each market segment.

which is running on your computer. It manages memory, processes, and all of its software and hardware. It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing the machine's "language". In most cases, many different programs are running on the device at the same time, and each of them must have access to the central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage. Operating system coordinates it all, giving each program what it needs. Without an operating system, software would not even be able to interact with hardware, and a computer would be useless.

Users and application programs have access to services offered by operating systems through system calls and application programming interfaces. They interact with the computer's operating system. from command line interfaces (KLI) graphical interfaces user known as GUI (see also: ). In short, an operating system allows users to interact with computer systems by acting as an interface between users or application programs and computer hardware.

1. Logos of the most popular operating systems

OS (1) can be found on almost every device that includes your computer - from Cell phones i game console po supercomputers i internet servers. Examples of popular modern operating systems are: Android, iOS, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, or z/OS from IBM. All of these systems, with the exception of Windows and/and z/OS, are UNIX rooted. Recently, if you do not distinguish between desktop and mobile platforms, Windows no longer dominates, but is (2).

2. Change in the share of the global market for operating systems over the past decade as a whole according to StatCounter

3. Change in the share of the global market of operating systems over the past decade for desktop computers, according to StatCounter.

4. Change in the global market share of operating systems over the past year in mobile devices, according to StatCounter

5. Shares of operating system types in the server market in 2018

The three most popular operating systems for personal computers are: Microsoft Windows,, Apple Mac OS X i Linux, whose share fluctuates around 1-2%. (3) Among mobile devices, Android dominates Apple's iOS, which is in second place with a recently growing market share (4). And in the global server market, almost half of them have Microsoft products, although this percentage is slowly falling, and with the spread of Red Hat Linux, these two systems account for about 4/5 of this market (5).

From smartphone to server

Microsoft created Windows operating system in the mid 80s. It was based on the MS-DOS kernel, at the time the most commonly used program manager for launching applications. Then, including the first major update in 1987, followed by Windows 3.0. A few years later, the next version, Windows 95, became the dominant operating system. Experts say that Microsoft's system hasn't changed much in terms of basic architecture since Windows 95, although it has added a huge amount of features to meet new computing needs. Many of the elements we know today have been around since the 90s, such as the start menu, the taskbar, and Windows Explorer (now known as "Explorer").

It has been created over many years many different versions of Windows. The most popular of them are Windows 7 (released 2009) Windows Vista (2007) and Windows XP (2001). Windows is preinstalled on most new PCswhich is considered the main reason for his dominance in the world. A user who buys a PC or laptop or upgrades Windows on their computer can choose from several different versions of the system, including Home Premium, Professional Or Final.

Same for everyone new Macintosh computers Or Poppy pre-installed at the factory since 2002. Apple operating system, now known as MacOS (formerly OS X and also Mac OS X). Apple operating systems are a family of older UNIX-based operating systems officially only available on Apple computers that have been preinstalled since 2002. The name of the system was announced in 2016 at the WWDC conference due to the need to unify the names used by Apple for their operating systems (thus, macOS is part of a series: iOS, watchOS, tvOS, etc.).

but old UNIX The basis for creating a modern Apple system was previously used NeXTStep system in the second half of the 80s, bought by Apple along with the manufacturer NeXT in 1996. The last version of that "classic" Macintosh computer system was Mac OS 9. In 2006, the first version was released for the new x86 Macs. – Mac OS X 10.4. In 2005, the first version was released that was fully compatible with the third version of the Uniform UNIX Specification - Mac OS X 10.5, running on PowerPC and x86 "mac" using a technology called Universal Binary, which is an executable file format that runs on both architectures. Based on this version, the iOS system (originally iPhone OS), the operating system of Apple Inc., was created. for mobile devices iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. As you can see, the history of Apple's system/operating systems is much more complex than that of Windows.

However, this is nothing compared to the diversity of the family. Linux, enter operating systems, which means they can be modified and redistributed by anyone anywhere in the world. It is fundamentally different from proprietary software like Windows, which can only be changed by the company that owns it. Linux Advantage is that it is "free software" and there are many different distributions (versions) from which you can choose the one that suits your needs. Each distribution has a different look and feel. The most popular distributions are known as: Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora. Linux is named after a family name Linus Torvaldswho created the Linux kernel in 1991.

Linux was first distributed under the GNU General Public License in 1992. It has grown from the first few lines of source code in its original release to over twenty million lines today. This system can be modified by anyone for their own purposes. Consequently we have hundreds of Linux based operating systemscalled distributions. This makes choosing between them extremely difficult, much more difficult than choosing a system version.

A variety of Linux distributions it's so cool that everyone will find something that suits their needs and preferences. For example, there are versions that mimic the popular Windows XP. There are also more specialized flavors of Linux, such as distributions designed to give new life to outdated, low-end computers, or ultra-secure distributions that can run from usb drive. Of course, there are many versions of Linux for running servers and other enterprise-class applications. Linux adopters recommend Ubuntu as a good starting point. This is a very convenient system (even compared to Windows), but at the same time versatile and multifunctional. computer art experts.

, are significantly different from desktop computers and laptops, so they run on operating systems designed specifically for mobile devices. Operating systems for mobile devices generally do not offer as wide a range of features as those designed for desktops or laptops and cannot run all the programs known for PCs. However, you can still do a lot of things with them, like watching movies, surfing the Internet, managing your calendar, playing games, and more.

There are also operating systems for servers, ie. heavy and extra-heavy in weight. What's the difference between server operating system a operating system for the average user? A "normal" operating system can run programs such as MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, as well as graphics programs, video players, etc. It also allows you to run applications that make it easier to browse the web and check e-mails. It uses LAN and Bluetooth connections and is cheaper than a server operating system.

Server operating system it's much more expensive for some reason. Its mission is to allow unlimited connections to users, provide much larger memory resources, and act as universal servers for websites, email, and databases. The server system can contain multiple desktops because it is optimized for networking and not for a single user.

Operating systems for IoT devices

Kontiki – An open source operating system developed in 2002, mainly focused on low power network microcontrollers and IoT devices.

Android Stuff - Created by Google. His former name was Brillo. It supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies.

RIOT - has a large developer community and is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License. Hence, RIOT is called the Linux of the IoT world.

Apache Minute - similar to the RIOT operating system. It is released under the Apache 2.0 license. Works in real time. It can be used in many microcontrollers, industrial IoT devices and medical devices.

LiteOS – was launched by Chinese tech giant Huawei in 2015. It is considered safe and interoperable.

zephyr – was released in 2016 by the Linux Foundation. The easy integration of various IoT devices has made this operating system one of the most popular in the world.

biting is the main operating system of Ubuntu IoT. Based on the Ubuntu community, it guarantees strong security for IoT devices.

Tiny OS - First released in 2000. It is one of the oldest operating systems for IoT devices. It mainly uses wireless sensor networks. 

Windows Internet of Things – previously also known as Windows Embedded. It was changed to Windows IoT with the advent of Windows 10.

Raspbian is a Debian-based operating system for the Raspberry Pi only. The kernel is similar to the Unix kernel.

Freertos is an open source operating system for microcontrollers. It uses the Amazon cloud service i.e. AWS.

Embedded Linux – The Linux operating system in this version is used for smart TVs, wireless (Wi-Fi) routers, etc.

A Brief History of the GUI

Most people use операционная системаwhich is installed on their computer before they buy it, but of course it is always possible to change, upgrade or even replace it. Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface or GUI that allows you to use your mouse or touchpad to click on icons, buttons, and menus, and everything is displayed on the screen using a combination of graphics and text. Before the GUI, the computer interface consisted of a command line, and the user had to enter each command into the computer, and the machine only displayed text.

The world's first graphical user interface is considered to be the release of the Apple System 1 in January 1984. Windows 1, released the following November, also offered a GUI, a 16-bit graphical user interface. At the time, besides Apple, prototypes of graphical environments were exhibited by other companies, such as VisiCorp at COMDEX in 1982, and the main reason for creating the Windows GUI was anxiety. Bill Gates for the loss of positions in the IBM PC market.

Its interface, as we mentioned, has more views Windows operating system relied on Start Menuwhich was first introduced in Windows 95 (1995) 6. Start button i Start Menu with an advertising campaign to attract users to the process of launching a new program. When Windows 2012 came out in 8, the button disappeared and the user was immediately taken to the full start screen, which was designed to be compatible with new touchscreen devices. The Start screen focuses on app icons and tiles you can click on, like on the Apple bar, rather than the list of system options and programs that Windows used for the Start menu in previous years.

6. Using the Windows Start Button

In the year 2013 Windows version 8.1which brought back the Start button to make it easier for Microsoft customers to use the startup system. In 2014, Windows 10 restored the beloved Start button and Start menu for good.

Mentioned known to users Apple's dock was introduced in 2000 with the release of Mac OS X called Cheetah. Prior to 2000, users of the Apple operating system used the top menu bar to launch and select programs, and to make changes to applications that were already running. When operating system X 10.5, also known as Leopard, released in October 2007, Dock (7) has been redesigned using the same visual approach we know today.

UNIX and non-UNIX

Windows systems, Mac OS i various Linux distributions (including Android belonging to this family) - this is not all that the market offers. It needs to be made clear that many different products in this world are related to each other in one way or another; for example, Linux is modeled after the old UNIX system developed by Bell Labs since the late 60s. Modern Apple systems come from UNIX. Thus, there is a network of connections, but many programmers, especially those who create these systems, try not to see them as "essentially the same" and emphasize the differences. The name Linux itself should be an acronym for "Linux Is Not UniX". This means that Linux is similar to UNIX, but was developed without Unix code, unlike, for example, BSD() and its variants.

An example of such a related but distinct system is Chrome OS, created by Google, the main task of the system is to launching internet applications. It is available on many inexpensive and expensive laptops. Computers preinstalled with Chrome OS are known in the market chromebooks.

One of the descendants of the above BSD called FreeBSD (eight). The first version of the system was released in 8. There are currently two stable versions available and supported: 1993 and 11.4. The name FreeBSD came up with David Greenman from the Walnut Creek CD that supported the project from the start. The official FreeBSD mascot is the demon, the official phrase is "The Power to Serve". Due to its efficiency and reliability, it is often used as a server or firewall. FreeBSD is used, for example. via Apache.org, Netflix, Flight-Aware, Yahoo!, Yandex, Netcraft, Sony Playstation 4, WhatsApp.

An operating system designed for home (simple control, multimedia) and office applications, in turn Syllable. It was created in July 2002 as a branch of the AtheOS systemwhich was abandoned by its author Kurt Skauen. The kernel and system architecture, like the AtheOS project, were inspired by AmigaOS system.

ReactOS is considered a clone of Windows, a free personal computer-type operating system that is interoperable with various versions of Windows. System assumptions include the ability to use Windows applications and drivers, as well as OS/2, Java, and POSIX applications.

ReactOS was written in Cand some elements like ReactOS Explorer in C++. The developers of ReactOS claim that it is not a clone of Windows. ReactOS has been in development since 1996. Back in 2019, it was still considered an incomplete alpha version of the software, so the developers only recommended it for testing purposes. Many Windows applications such as Adobe Reader 6.0 and OpenOffice currently run on it.

Not everyone knows Solaris is a UNIX-based operating system that was originally developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid-90s, but was renamed in 2010 to Oracle Solaris following the acquisition of Sun Microsystems by Oracle. It is known for its scalability and several other features that have made interesting applications possible.

There are many operating systems that were significant in their day but are no longer as great as AmigaOS; OS/2 from IBM and Microsoft, classic Mac OS, ie. non-Unix predecessor to Apple MacOS, BeOS, XTS-300, RISC OS, MorphOS, Haiku, Bare-Metal and FreeMint. Some of them are still used in niche markets and continue to be developed as minority platforms for the enthusiast and application development community.

OpenVMS created in DEC it's still . Other operating systems are used almost exclusively in academia to teach operating systems or to research OS concepts. A typical example of a system that does both is MINIX. The other, named one, is only used for research. Oberon developed at ETH Zurich Nicholas Virtha, Yurga Gutknehta and a group of students in the 80s, it was used mainly for research, teaching and daily work in the Wirth group. However, some operating systems that did not gain significant market share introduced innovations that influenced leading developments. This is especially true of Bell Labs research and experimentation.

it's the same various operating systems for platforms other than PCs, smartphones and tablets. Over the years, separate solutions have been developed for smart TVs, cars, watches, the Internet of Things (9), etc. Technically, these are not the same operating systems, although they have similar names. for example Operating system Android TV OS it's not the same as what we have in a smartphone. Embedded systems used in automobiles, for example, can be of many varieties, with many settings for a single device, because electronic systems in automobiles have dozens of processors. Each processor (in this case, the microcontroller) may have a different operating system (or the same) or none at all.

9. Operating system for the Internet of Things

Mobile open systems and centrally managed

About 15 years ago, he dominated the mobile communications market. Symbian system, today it is essentially the history of the OS, like PalmOS, webOS. Currently, as you know, the mobile operating system market is dominated by Android, an open and free software package developed by Google that contains the main operating system, middleware and key applications for use on mobile devices.

Linux kernel and some other components adapted for Android are released under the GNU GPL. However, Android does not include code from the GNU project. This feature distinguishes Android from many other Linux distributions today. Android operating system updates have previously been published under dessert-related names (Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich). For two years now, Android versions have simply been numbered in a row.

second iOS is a mobile system, an Apple product for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad mobile devices. The current name has been in effect since 2010. The system was previously known as iPhone OS. This system is based on Mac OS X 10.5. iOS is only available on Apple devices because the company does not license the operating system for devices from other manufacturers. All software is released individually by Apple Inc. and distributed from a single repository () centrally through the AppStore with a mandatory cryptographic confirmation signature. This distribution model, although centrally controlled, allows preventing the spread of malware, efficient repairs and upgrades and thus an unparalleled high standard of safety and quality for all users.

Windows Mobile is a Microsoft mobile operating system used in smartphones and mobile devices − with touch screens or without them. The Mobile operating system is based on the Windows CE 5.2 kernel.

Windows Mobile is an operating system designed for PocketPC PDAs, PDAs, and smartphones. The successor to the Windows Mobile series was Windows Phone, introduced on September 27, 2011. In 2015, Microsoft returned to its former name with the introduction of the Windows 10 Mobile operating system, but this system does not belong to the Windows Mobile family, which is based on the Windows CE kernel. It belongs to the Windows 10 family as part of the creation of a universal platform called the Universal Windows Platform.

Another system known in the mobile OS market is BlackBerry OS, is a proprietary mobile operating system developed by Research In Motion for use on BlackBerry handheld devices popular many years ago. BlackBerry platform was popular with corporate users because, when combined with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, it provides synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, Novell GroupWise email, and other business software.

There are other lesser known proposals such as Bada, Samsung operating system for mobile phoneswhich was launched in 2010. The first smartphone to use it was the Samsung Wave. Operating system this in turn Linux distribution, was created by combining the Moblin distribution (created by Intel) and Maemo (Sponsored by Nokia) for various mobile devices and applications such as cars, yachts, phones, netbooks or tablets. The presentation of the first mobile phone with MeeGo v1.2, Nokia N9, took place on June 21, 2011.

Welcome to the operating system zoo

As you can see, operating systems are swarming. They arose and transformed, branching off into new versions, especially when it came to families and Generations of Linuxto meet the sometimes different needs of professionals. As part of this complex and multi-branch evolution, several original, if not bizarre, creations were created.

Such a strange creature, for example. TempleOS, formerly J Operating System, SparrowOS and LoseThos - light biblical operating system. It was designed by an American programmer as the third temple predicted in the Bible. Terriego A. Davis. Davis claimed that system features such as 640×480 pixel resolution, 16-color display, and audio controls were specifically entrusted to him by God. It was programmed using the original variant of the C language (called HolyC) and included, among other things, a flight simulator, a compiler, and a kernel.

A somewhat similar atmosphere is shrouded in the post-apocalyptic OS Collapse, created by Virgil Dupras. This operating system offers set of self-reproducing programs i self-installation in a variety of devices, as well as many other functions. The main task of the system is to launch on a wide range of often primitive devices that can survive after a global cataclysm.

Other original design, Hoops, was intended to recreate the experience familiar to users of older Amiga machines on modern PCs. However, over time, as it evolved, the software outgrew the original, becoming an original product with little connection to the romantic days of computers.

North Korea is known to isolate itself from the outside world. This also applies to software. Computers in the DPR-D they do not work on Windows or Apple systems, but on Red Star (Pulgunbyol). This UNIX-based operating system was developed there at the National Computer Center and includes a modified browser based on Firefoxwhich allows you to access the modern web, a text editor, and even games. Red Star also has features such as a watermarking system that marks all files with a unique installation serial number so they can be traced, as well as backdoor access for Korean intelligence agencies.

It is conceived a little like Sabili system, also known as "Ubuntu Muslim Edition". Sabily is its own Linux distribution. launched in 2007 to serve Muslim users. In addition to the standard features provided by the operating system, Sabily includes Arabic language support out of the box. The operating system also boasts a number of unique programs, such as an icon that invokes the Muslim call to prayer several times a day, or Zakat Calc helping the user to determine the various amounts of obligatory alms. The Sabily project was discontinued in 2011 but is available on ArchiveOS.

Full of quirks Suicide Linuxwhich, after entering a command not recognized by the Linux standard, formats the hard disk, which should be understood as a "punishment". Or PonyOS, a hobby system built from the ground up by and for My Little Pony fans based on another obscure system, Toaru. In addition to an interface full of cute ponies, PonyOS offers one interesting feature - rotating GUI windows in addition to their traditional shrinking and moving.

Digital Real World OS

This is in our time. And operating systems are ready for it. The American company Veritone announced in April 2020 that it had succeeded in developing the world's first. His product called "aiWARE" runs AI algorithms instead of programs. Default aiWARE includes for speech, text, voice, photography, biometrics, data analysis, data transformation and more. So, for example, the voice assistant function is already built into traditional devices and is available in a separate application.

Since artificial intelligence, speech recognition or image, virtual assistants i Techniques The so-called natural interface of machines is beginning to create today a new environment in which modern man can move, live, work, buy, play and much more, the concept of "operating system" develops and quietly moves from the world of computers and other computer devices only for our environment, surroundings and the world in which we live every day.

Does the future belong to the "operating system of the world", that is, to solutions that coordinate something more than just the operation of software and hardware? Will new operating systems soon ensure the interaction and smooth operation of elements of the virtual, machine and real world? Such a system would allocate not only the computing resources of the processor, but also access to our perception, attention and cognitive abilities, i.e. to our brain.

Overview of different types of operating systems

Real time operating system (real-time operating system, RTOS) - to meet the requirements for the execution time of the desired operations. Such systems are used as elements of computer control systems operating in real time. According to this criterion, real-time operating systems are divided into two types:

• rigid, i.e. those for which the worst (greatest) response time is known and it is known that it will not be exceeded;
• soft, i.e. those who try to respond as quickly as possible, but it is not known what the longer response time may be.

In a real-time operating system, it is necessary to determine which of the processes should be allocated a processor and how long all executable processes will meet their time limits. The emergence of operating systems of this type is associated, among other things, with the need for military equipment in timely missile control. These types of operating systems are now widely used in civilian industry, and they also control devices such as telephone exchanges, NASA Mars landers, and automotive ABSs. Notable examples are Windows CE, OS-9, Symbian and LynxOS.

By the way of communication with the user, we distinguish:

• Text systems - communication using commands issued from the command line or, in other words, from the command line (for example, UNIX, MS-DOS).
• Graphics systems – communication using graphic windows and symbols (GUI). The computer is controlled using the mouse cursor (for example, the MS Windows family, Mac OS).

By architecture, operating systems are divided into:

• single purpose systems. These are monolithic systems of the simplest design. The system can only perform one task at a time. Only one program can run at a time (for example, MS-DOS).
• Multitasking systems (multitasking). These are multi-level systems with a hierarchical structure of system commands. The system can simultaneously perform many tasks (for example, control the printing process while editing text in the program). Several programs can run simultaneously (eg MS Windows 9x/Me, NT/2000/XP, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp). 
• Unified access systems. These are systems that support only one user at a time (eg MS-DOS, Windows 9x/Me). 
• multiuser systems. These are systems that support multiple users at the same time. The processor performs several tasks in turn, with switching occurring so frequently that users can interact with the program while it is running (eg MS Windows NT/2000/XP, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp). 
• Client-server systems. These are highly complex systems that supervise secondary systems installed on individual networked computers. Applications are treated by the operating system as "clients" of servers that provide services to them. "Clients" communicate with servers through the core of the system, and each server runs in its own, separate and protected memory space, well isolated from other processes.

Embedded system - a specialized computer system that becomes an integral part of the equipment it operates. It must meet certain requirements, strictly defined in terms of the tasks it must perform. Therefore, it cannot be called a typical multifunctional personal computer. Every embedded system is based on a microprocessor (or microcontroller) programmed to perform a limited number of tasks, or even a single task. The computer that controls the US Apollo spacecraft is believed to be the first built-in computer. However, the first mass-produced embedded computer was used to control the LGM-30 Minuteman I missile. A few examples are Windows CE, FreeBSD, and Minix 3.

embedded operating systems. The use of Linux in embedded systems is called Embedded Linux. 

Mobile operating system (or mobile OS) – operating system for smartphones, tablets, PDAs or other mobile devices. Mobile operating systems combine the features of a computer with other features useful for a cell phone or other mobile devices; usually these are: touch screen, phone, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, navigation, camera, camera, speech recognition, voice recorder, music player, NFC and infrared port. Mobile devices capable of communication (such as smartphones) contain two mobile operating systems - a main program visible to the user, supplemented by a low-level real-time system supporting radio and other components. Notable examples include Blackberry OS, Google Android, and Apple iOS.