Code & architecture

Operating Systems

Also called: Operating System

The short version

An operating system is the main software that manages a computer’s hardware and lets other programs run.

The layer beneath your apps

An operating system, or OS, manages memory, files, devices, and which programs get time on the processor. It gives apps ways to use the computer without each app controlling the hardware directly. A phone and a web server both need an OS.

Common computer and server systems include Windows, macOS, and Linux. Unix is an older family that influenced many systems. An app may need a version made for a particular OS, even when it looks similar on different devices.