jamahir jee, the essential task of os is to perform basic privileged functions on behalf of the applications. applications cant be allowed to perform those functions themselves otherwise they will be able to do all kinds of fk ups with the computer. hence security is the primary function of os.
while what you say is correct in the present context, i was only describing to
@Faiez why os'es emerged rather than people continuing to use some infinite loop written in assembly language or i suppose machine code.
I am not a computer programmer but i agree with you that making an OS needs a different level of programming.
yes, a os generally is a general purpose program that must allow sub-programs to execute in a secure way ( as gauss said above ), so the os must be programmed to handle all kinds of possible faults and results... and that requires the os designer to be big-picture thinker.
And OS plays a very big role in information warfare.
indeed... nato has a dedicated school for information warfare in estonia and russia has one in siberia, and both would include lessons on how to attack the os in critical systems in the opponent.
And don't understand what stops us from making it.
in india in computing field specifically...
1. people are expected to unquestioningly follow western standards in programming even if they are unnecessarily complicated, whether this be in c language or java or javascript etc... this dissuades people from using innovative and simpler methods.
2. people lack the confidence to ask questions and simplify things for themselves... unless one asks questions, how can one decide if something is necessary or useless.
3. people are intellectually lazy and will exert effort only for salaries and not for the joy of designing something... this makes people constantly ask "oh, why reinvent the wheel??" people should understand that designing a os in india is not reinventing the wheel but a honorable intellectual pursuit.
4. undeniably, indian life is unnecessarily complicated and this translates also into usage of complicated but obsolete technology.
well it depends, if it's really really really real time and very specific task, then an OS is not needed and any OS will only make the system lag more.
you are correct but such usages are few and the code will be necessarily small.
i386 probably has something like 60 something....don't know exactly.
there is two or three os written entirely in assembly but i would suspect their management becomes tough...
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