Name: _______________________________
CS 1011 Homework #8
Due March 31, 2003

Chapter 8: Operating Systems & Utility Programs


Fill In The Blank (1/2 point each)

  1. When running multiple applications, the active application is said to be running in the   _____________  , and the other applications are said to be running in the   _____________   .

  2. The purpose of   _____________   _____________   is to optimize use of random access memory (RAM).

  3. A   _____________   _______________   is a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a device.

  4.   ______________   is a popular, free, multitasking UNIX-type operating system.

  5. A portion of memory that the processor uses to store frequently-accessed items is called a   ______________   _________________   .

  6. An   ______________   ________________   is a communications line between a device and the processor.

  7. A   ______________   -   _____________   computer continues to run even after one of its components fails.

  8. A   _______________   _______________   is a type of system software that performs a specific task.

  9. ________________   the disk, or re-organizing it so the files are stored on contiguous sectors, speeds up disk access and thus improves the performance of the entire computer.

  10. The   ______________   ______________   ___________   is a table of information that the operating system uses to locate files on a disk.


Short Answer (1 point each)

  1. Explain the difference between device-dependent and device-independent software. Is either type preferable to the other? Why?



  2. Describe what happens to the File Allocation Table (FAT) when your hard drive is formatted. How is it possible to recover files from a hard drive after it has been formatted?



  3. What is the purpose of virtual memory? Briefly explain how virtual memory is used.



  4. Define multitasking. Are the systems that we use in the lab (MWAH 177) multitasking systems? Explain why or why not.



  5. Name 4 different operating systems and state whether they are a stand-alone, network, or embedded operating system.