TOPIC A
Personal Computer Operating Systems
In this lesson, you will identify the fundamental components and functions of personal com- puter operating systems. The first step is to learn about the various operating systems available today, and to identify those that are commonly used on personal computers. In this topic, you will identify the major personal computer operating systems.
Although Microsoft® Windows® is the dominant operating system in the personal computer market today, there are other operating systems that can run on various desktop and laptop computers. These operating systems vary in their popularity, system requirements, and features. As a support professional, you should be familiar with the operating systems that can be installed on personal computers so that you can support a variety of computer environments.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is the single most popular and widely deployed operating system on both desktop computers and server systems in the world today. The various versions of Windows all feature a graphical user interface, support for a wide range of applications and devices, a mini- mum of 32-bit processing, native networking support, and a large suite of built-in applications and accessories such as the Internet Explorer web browser. Windows currently comes pre- installed on many personal computers sold commercially.
Microsoft Windows Versions
Microsoft Windows comes in several different versions and revision levels for use on both per- sonal computers and network servers. They are described in the following table.
UNIX® is a trademark for a family of operating systems originally developed at Bell Laborato-
ries beginning in the late 1960s. All UNIX systems share a kernel/shell architecture, with the
kernel providing the core functionality and the interchangeable shells providing the user
interface. Unlike many operating systems, UNIX is portable to different hardware platforms;
versions of UNIX can run on everything from personal computers to mainframes and on many
types of computer processors. UNIX also incorporates built-in multitasking, multiuser support,
networking functions, and a robust platform for software development.
Many different companies and organizations have licensed the UNIX name and technology,
and marketed their own UNIX versions, leading to a proliferation of different UNIX families,
system names, and interfaces. Different hardware manufacturers tend to favor particular ver-
sions, or “flavors,” of UNIX. The following table lists some of the most important UNIX
categories you will encounter.
Linux® is an open-standards UNIX derivative originally developed and released by a Finnish
computer science student named Linus Torvalds. The Linux source code was posted publicly
on a computing newsgroup, and the code was developed and tested cooperatively all over the
world. Because the source code is open, it can be downloaded, modified, and installed freely.
However, many organizations prefer to purchase and implement a Linux distribution, which is
a complete Linux implementation, including kernel, shell, applications, utilities, and installation
media, that is packaged, distributed, and supported by a software vendor.
The following table lists some popular Linux distributions.
Personal Computer Operating Systems
In this lesson, you will identify the fundamental components and functions of personal com- puter operating systems. The first step is to learn about the various operating systems available today, and to identify those that are commonly used on personal computers. In this topic, you will identify the major personal computer operating systems.
Although Microsoft® Windows® is the dominant operating system in the personal computer market today, there are other operating systems that can run on various desktop and laptop computers. These operating systems vary in their popularity, system requirements, and features. As a support professional, you should be familiar with the operating systems that can be installed on personal computers so that you can support a variety of computer environments.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is the single most popular and widely deployed operating system on both desktop computers and server systems in the world today. The various versions of Windows all feature a graphical user interface, support for a wide range of applications and devices, a mini- mum of 32-bit processing, native networking support, and a large suite of built-in applications and accessories such as the Internet Explorer web browser. Windows currently comes pre- installed on many personal computers sold commercially.
Microsoft Windows Versions
Microsoft Windows comes in several different versions and revision levels for use on both per- sonal computers and network servers. They are described in the following table.
UNIX
UNIX Versions
Linux
If class time permits, you
might want to explore the
Linux website with the
students.
Linux
Linux® is an open-standards UNIX derivative originally developed and released by a Finnish computer science student named Linus Torvalds. The Linux source code was posted publicly on a computing newsgroup, and the code was developed and tested cooperatively all over the world. Because the source code is open, it can be downloaded, modified, and installed freely. However, many organizations prefer to purchase and implement a Linux distribution, which is a complete Linux implementation, including kernel, shell, applications, utilities, and installation media, that is packaged, distributed, and supported by a software vendor.
Open vs. Proprietary
Open standards are any type of software-development standards that are arrived at coopera- tively and are not owned, copyrighted, or maintained by any particular organization or commercial enterprise. Open standards are the opposite of proprietary development.
Linux Release Versions
The first version of the Linux kernel that was publicly released was version .02, released in 1991. Linux kernel version 2.6.20-rc4 was available as of January, 2007. For more information about Linux and its versions, see the Linux home page at www.linux.org.
Popular Linux Distributions
Linux® is an open-standards UNIX derivative originally developed and released by a Finnish computer science student named Linus Torvalds. The Linux source code was posted publicly on a computing newsgroup, and the code was developed and tested cooperatively all over the world. Because the source code is open, it can be downloaded, modified, and installed freely. However, many organizations prefer to purchase and implement a Linux distribution, which is a complete Linux implementation, including kernel, shell, applications, utilities, and installation media, that is packaged, distributed, and supported by a software vendor.
Open vs. Proprietary
Open standards are any type of software-development standards that are arrived at coopera- tively and are not owned, copyrighted, or maintained by any particular organization or commercial enterprise. Open standards are the opposite of proprietary development.
Linux Release Versions
The first version of the Linux kernel that was publicly released was version .02, released in 1991. Linux kernel version 2.6.20-rc4 was available as of January, 2007. For more information about Linux and its versions, see the Linux home page at www.linux.org.
Popular Linux Distributions
Apple Macintosh Operating Systems
Apple® Computing, Inc. markets the proprietary Macintosh® operating system with its own graphical user interface design. Mac OS® X features:
The Windows desktop is a general term for the overall contents of the computer screen that
displays whenever Windows is running. The desktop always contains the taskbar and Start but-
ton as well as desktop icons and shortcuts that users can click to launch programs and
documents. The remainder of the screen can display graphic images, patterns, or simply a
background color. The desktop is highly configurable, so the specific appearance of it will
depend upon the Windows version in use and the user’s preferences.
Apple® Computing, Inc. markets the proprietary Macintosh® operating system with its own graphical user interface design. Mac OS® X features:
TOPIC B
Windows User Interface Components
In the previous topic, you identified the major personal computer operating systems and learned that Microsoft Windows is the most common of those operating systems in use today. Your next step in preparing to support the Microsoft Windows operating system is to identify the elements of Windows that users interact with most often. In this topic, you will identify the primary components of the Windows user interface.
The Windows user interface is the starting point for interacting with the Windows operating system for systems professionals and end users alike. As a professional support technician, you’ll need to understand the user interface both so that you can utilize it to interact with Win- dows efficiently in your own work, and so that you can help users who want to understand the system and use it effectively.
The Windows Desktop
Windows User Interface Components
In the previous topic, you identified the major personal computer operating systems and learned that Microsoft Windows is the most common of those operating systems in use today. Your next step in preparing to support the Microsoft Windows operating system is to identify the elements of Windows that users interact with most often. In this topic, you will identify the primary components of the Windows user interface.
The Windows user interface is the starting point for interacting with the Windows operating system for systems professionals and end users alike. As a professional support technician, you’ll need to understand the user interface both so that you can utilize it to interact with Win- dows efficiently in your own work, and so that you can help users who want to understand the system and use it effectively.
The Windows Desktop
Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is a graphical tool that enables users to manage files and folders on a com- puter, including the contents of hard disks, floppy drives, CD and DVD drives, and any other storage devices attached to the computer. The left side of Windows Explorer holds the Explorer bar, which by default displays the folder hierarchy; the right pane displays the con- tents of the selected item.
Like Windows Explorer, My Computer is used to manage files and folders on a computer and
on any storage devices attached to the computer. My Computer is simply a single-pane view of
Windows Explorer, with a context-sensitive Task Pane on the left instead of the Explorer Bar.
The Task Pane contains links to common tasks and resources that relate to the selected item.
My Computer can be available as an icon on the Windows desktop and also from the Start
menu in Windows XP.
Each user on a Windows system has a personal folder named My Documents for storing the
user’s individual files. The My Documents folder for the current user can be available as an
icon on the desktop, and it appears on the Start menu. The My Documents folder is part of a
collection of user-specific settings and folders known as the user profile. User profile folders
are named for each user and are stored on the drive where Windows is installed.
The Control Panel is a graphical interface that provides access to a number of utilities that you
can use to configure the Windows operating system or the computer’s hardware. The following
table shows some of the most commonly-used Control Panel utilities.
Windows provides a Command Prompt interface that enables you to enter text-based com-
mands or run command-line tools. Command-line tools accept only text input, and they output
information either in text format or by opening a graphic display window. You can use
command-line equivalents of graphical tools to create batch programs or scripts that automate
administrative tasks. Some administrators and power users might also find command-line man-
agement to be more streamlined and efficient than working through a graphical interface.
Windows Explorer is a graphical tool that enables users to manage files and folders on a com- puter, including the contents of hard disks, floppy drives, CD and DVD drives, and any other storage devices attached to the computer. The left side of Windows Explorer holds the Explorer bar, which by default displays the folder hierarchy; the right pane displays the con- tents of the selected item.
My Computer
The My Documents Folder
The Control Panel
The Command Prompt
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