Unix Operating System: Parts
Introduction: The UNIX Operating System This tutorial teaches some basics about UNIX. Like Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS, UNIX is an operating system. By operating system, we mean the suite of programs that make the computer work. The supercomputer runs a variant of UNIX called Linux. Because jobs must be submitted to the supercomputer using UNIX commands, it is pertinent that you, as a user of the supercomputer, obtain at least a basic knowledge of the UNIX environment. The UNIX operating system In general, the UNIX operating system is made up of three parts; the kernel, the shell, and the programs. 1. The kernel If we think of the UNIX operating system in terms of layers, the kernel is the lowest layer. It interfaces directly with the computer hardware and is responsible for allocating and managing the resources available to programs. It allocates processor time and memory to each program and determines when each program will run. ...