Core Concepts in Computer Science: Operating Systems

An operating system is the behind-the-scenes manager that lets programs share a computer’s processor, memory, storage, and devices. This second edition of Core Concepts in Computer Science: Operating Systems lays out those responsibilities in a sequence of focused chapters, connecting foundational ideas with the mechanisms that keep computing systems organized and secure.

Its scope ranges from basic operating-system services to the detailed work of scheduling processes, managing memory, handling files, and responding to deadlocks. The result is a structured introduction for readers who want to understand not only what an operating system does, but how its core concepts fit together.

Follow the work from processor to file system

Seven chapters take readers through operating-system fundamentals, processor management, protection and security, device management, memory management, file management, and deadlocks. Along the way, the book addresses interprocess communication, process scheduling, multithreading, device drivers, input/output, virtual memory, file access, directory structure, file-system reliability, and RAID.

That breadth helps place individual mechanisms in context: processor time, memory, files, and I/O devices are different parts of the same resource-management challenge.

Security and coordination are part of the story

The coverage extends beyond keeping programs running. Dedicated material on operating-system protection and security considers how access to system resources is controlled, while the chapters on processor management and deadlocks examine coordination when processes compete for resources.

A structured study companion

Chapter summaries and review material appear throughout the contents, alongside multiple-choice questions. These features give students and independent learners a way to revisit terminology and check their grasp of the concepts after each major topic.

For computer science students building a foundation in systems, this operating systems book offers a broad, organized map of the subject—from resource allocation and device management to file systems and deadlock handling.