Topics: Software : Operating Systems
Operating systems (OSs) do many things: it is the block of software that runs in the memory of a computer which mediates between the hardware below and application(s) above; provides consistent access to various hardware for user programs such as applications and utilities; multiplexes hardware resources between two or more processes, programs, users; provides some common services to all software via an application programming (or protocol) interface (API); allocates memory and storage; schedules tasks.
BIOS
This category treats software-oriented aspects of BIOSs.
Open Firmware,
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Boot Managers
Boot Managers are small applications which allow a user to boot a computer into an operating system, or one of a selection of operating systems.
GRUB,
LILO,
Loadin,
NTLDR,
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Capability
Capability, or capability-based, operating systems (OSs) are those which use, and are often structured via, capabilities (in some systems called a key), for security.
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Closed Source
This category lists operating systems (OSs) based on closed source code. Some such OSs have open source variants (BeOS, DOS, Unix, VMS), or straddle these two licensing models (QNX).
IBM,
Unix,
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CPM
This category contains sites dedicated to the various versions of the operating system CP/M, including historical information.
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Directories
This category is for only websites cataloging operating systems (OSs), and related resources, via alphabetical or otherwise classified lists of resources, with no, or brief descriptions.
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Education
This category covers operating systems (OSs) which were created, and have as a main or major purpose, to educate and teach about OS concepts, design, programming, and/or larger, more general system issues; and/or support other types of education (networking, mathematics); OSs existing solely or in large part, to educate.
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Embedded
Operating systems with a small footprint which run on devices with small resources.
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Extensible
Any operating system (OS) can be extended before runtime, by two means: 1) Programming; if one has the source code, by programming (coding) and then compiling the new code into a new system, and/or, 2) Patches; by applying patches into a system.Extensible OS is the accepted term for what can be more precisely and correctly termed a runtime extensible OS.
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Functional
This category holds links for operating systems (OSs) based on, or which use heavily, functional programming and languages, and related topics, for which this is the main rationale.
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Graphic Subsystems
This category holds links on Graphical User Interfaces (GUI, pronounced "Gooey"), and software and toolkits that support implementing and deploying graphics on computers, usually but not always via operating systems.
Desktop Environments,
Display Managers,
Morphic,
Toolkits,
X11,
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Guides
This category is for only websites cataloging operating systems (OSs), and related resources, via alphabetical or otherwise classified lists of resources, with more than brief descriptions.
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Handheld
Operating systems used to run mobile devices with small resources.
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Linux
Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of many developers around the world.
Advocacy,
Companies,
Conferences,
Directories,
Distributions,
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Mac OS
The Mac OS is the original and still most popular operating system for the various versions of the Apple Macintosh computer, and Power PC.
Astronomy,
Business,
CAD,
Databases,
Education,
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Mainframe
Mainframe computers are large systems that usually completely fill one or more rooms. Older makers: Burroughs, Honeywell, IBM, Sperry, Univac.
IBM,
Multics,
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Microkernel
This category is on operating systems (OSs) which main trait is that they have a microkernel architecture.
BeOS,
Flux-Fluke-Flask,
Mach,
MorphOS,
Open Source,
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Microsoft Windows
The Windows operating system is designed by the Microsoft Company.
Chats and Forums,
Device Drivers,
FAQs, Help, and Tutorials,
History,
Programming,
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Midrange
Midrange computers were once called minicomputers. They have capacities in between desktop and mainframe computers, and sizes between a 19" color TV and a large refrigerator.
Data General,
OS-400,
VMS,
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Monolithic
Most operating systems (OSs) in use are monolithic. In these, all source code is compiled into one logically undivided block of object code, though the source and/or object code may be segmented into different address spaces, unlike in a Single Address Space OS (SASOS).
Hybrid,
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Network
Network operating systems (NOSs) are OSs that exist mostly or fully for, which main reason for being, is to facilitate networking, between two or more computers, to operate and improve networks, with non-trivial networking (e.g., routing) included and/or built in, which need not be added later, and make little sense without their network functions.
Cisco IOS,
Distributed,
NetWare,
Open Source,
Quality of Service,
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Object-Oriented
This category is for object-oriented (OO) operating systems (OSs): OSs structured, organized, using all, most, or many of the principles of OO programming and related languages.
AtheOS,
GEOS,
Java,
Open Source,
PURE,
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Open Source
This category lists operating systems (OSs) based on open source code. Some such OSs have closed source variants (BeOS, DOS, Unix, VMS), or straddle these two licensing models (QNX).Open Source computer programs (OSs are programs) are those that include source code, and/or for which the source code is freely available, or made available without a fee or limited permissions.On this page, OSs are arranged in three groups and levels: 1) Top group: types or classes of OS.
Research,
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OS-2
Advocacy,
Development,
Documentation,
News and Media,
Organizations,
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Parallel
Parallel operating systems (OSs) are written for computers using two or more processors (called nodes), and where such processors are usually nearby each other, and usually linked via busses, and not networks.
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Persistent
Persistence is the trait of maintaining system state despite discontinuities in operation or use, such as from one use of a program to the next use.
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POSIX
All operating systems (OSs) in this category support POSIX standards fully or partly. POSIX is an acronym for: Portable Operating System Interface for UniX.
Open Source,
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Realtime
This category has information on only RealTime Operating Systems (RTOSs), and closely related material.Realtime systems are not the same as embedded systems.
ChorusOS,
DOS,
eCos,
EROS,
FreeRTOS,
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Reflective
Reflection: a method or means to let a system maintain information about itself (meta-information), and to use such to alter its behavior, to change, adapt; something acting upon itself.
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Research
This category is for operating systems (OSs) which main purpose is research into OSs and into larger, more general system issues.
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Single Address Space
Single Address Space Operating Systems (SASOSs) are OSs in which all code and data exists within one, big, shared address space, often threaded.
Nemesis,
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Submicrokernel
This category is for submicrokernel operating systems: OSs with non-monolithic architectures based on structures smaller than microkernels.
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TI-99 4A
The TI-99/4A Home Computer is a 'classic' computer system which was created and sold by Texas Instruments in the early 80's.
FTP,
Related Computers,
Users Groups,
Vendors,
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Unix
All operating systems (OSs) in this category support POSIX standards fully. The main standard defining what constitutes a Unix OS is POSIX, an acronym for: Portable Operating System Interface for UniX.
A-UX,
Administration,
AIX,
BSD,
Documentation,
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x86
This category holds links on operating systems (OSs) that run on computers, PCs and otherwise, using Intel and compatible x86-based architecture central processor units: CPUs.Main members of the Intel x86 family: 8086, 8088, 80186, 80286; and:IA32: 80386, 80486, 80586 (Pentium), 80686 (Pentium II), 80786 (Pentium III), 80886 (Pentium 4); and:IA64: 80986?
DOS,
SkyOS,
Unix,
V2 OS,
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