1.1 What Operating System Do
Operating system is the one program running at all times on the computer -- usually called the kernel.
Along with kernel, there are two other types of programs:
System programs, which are associated with the operating system but are not part of the kernel.
Application programs, which include all programs not associated with the operation of the system.
A computer system can be divided into four components: the hardware, the operating system, the application programs and the users: