What is an Operating System?

An Operating System is a set of programs that controls and coordinates the use of
computer hardware among various application programs. It provides an environment
within which user can execute programs. A computer can be divided into four
components: the hardware, the operating system, the applications programs, the users.
It is the operating system that manages all the above components. The various
functions of the operating system are:

 Controlling Input/Output devices (Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, Plotter

etc.)
 Memory and File storage management
 CPU Scheduling and controlling processes
 Loading, initiating, executing and supervising user applications programs
 Handling errors and restarting
 Providing command interface between user and computer system

Booting Process
When the computer is switched on, the firmware program in Read Only
Memory(ROM) also called Basic Input-Output System(BIOS) reads programs and
data i.e. Operating System and loads it into memory (RAM). This process is known
Bootstrapping (Booting). The OS once loaded takes control of the computer, handles
user interaction and executes application programs.

There are two types of Booting Process:

Warm and Cold

Switching on of the computer from Power off and loading the operating system is
called "Cold Boot". This generally starts with memory test and chips initialization.

There may be case when the computer is already on or has hanged up and we want to
reboot the system. This is known as "Warm Boot" and is done by pressing ctrl+alt+del
keys simultaneously or just by pressing "Reset" button on the system.

What is Disk operating System?

Disk Operating System (specifically) and disk operating system (generically), most
often abbreviated as DOS (not to be confused with the DOS family of disk operating
systems for the IBM PC compatible platform), refer to operating system software used
in most computers that provides the abstraction and management of secondary storage
devices and the information on them (e.g., file systems for organizing files of all
sorts). Such software is referred to as a disk operating system when the storage
devices it manages are made of rotating platters (such as hard disks or floppy disks).

In the early days of micro-computing, memory space was often limited, so the disk
operating system was an extension of the operating system. This component was only
loaded if it was needed. Otherwise, disk-access would be limited to low-level
operations such as reading and writing disks at the sector-level.

In some cases, the disk operating system component (or even the operating system)
was known as DOS.

Sometimes, a disk operating system can refer to the entire operating system if it is
loaded off a disk and supports the abstraction and management of disk devices. An
example is DOS/360. On the PC compatible platform, an entire family of operating
systems was called DOS.

Input/Output System

This most primitive of the DOS systems has two parts:

• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). These are the fundamental routines that control
the keyboard, video display and other peripherals. The BIOS is comprised of a ROM
on the computer's main circuit board and the file IBMBIO.COM (or IO.SYS), one of
the two hidden files on your disk.

• Operating System. This is the main file-handling system for the computer. Actually,
two systems exist: one for disk-based files and one for non-disk peripheral devices.
They are in hidden file IBMDOS.COM (or MSDOS.SYS). (IBMBIO and IBMDOS
are IBM names; MS-DOS uses IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS.)

The two systems are necessary because non-disk peripherals demand their data as
strings of characters, while disks move information in large groups, known as blocks.

Command Processor

The command processor (COMMAND.COM on your disk) performs three tasks:

• It handles critical interrupts...that is, COMMAND.COM takes care of all demands

for attention by parts of the computer. The user typing the Control-Break program
break command is an example of an interrupt.
• It handles critical errors...that is, COMMAND.COM takes care of problems. For
example, if you leave the disk drive door open during a disk operation
COMMAND.COM is responsible for the error message you will see.

• It performs end-of-program housekeeping...that is, COMMAND.COM takes care of

making the computer's memory available for other programs and reloading parts of
itself if the program wrote over them.

COMMAND.COM also places the C> prompt on the screen and interprets any
command(s) you might type. In short, the command processor tells the rest of DOS
what to do.

Rules for Filenames

Like devices, disk files have to be identified so DOS can address them. These
filenames have specific rules. The basic form of a filename is:

ICFAI.TXT

The first part of the name to the left of the period is called the root name. The root
name can be from one to eight characters long and cannot be the same as a device
name. The second part to the right of the period is the extension. It is optional and, if
used, can be one to three characters long. The period is used between the root name
and extension and must be present if there is an extension.

DOS AS AN OPERATING SYSTEM

Microsoft’s DOS is an example one kind of operating system, a
fairly simple one, which first appeared in 1981 on the IBM PC. The interface
was what we call a command line interface, meaning that there
was no mouse, no menus, or any graphical components. Text commands were entered
from the keyboard, and the computer’s response appeared as text on the monitor.
DOS controlled some aspects of the computer hardware, particularly disk access
and basic CPU operations, but it was still common to need to configure the video
display, sound card, printer, etc. for each application that would use them.
DOS was a single-tasking operating system, which meant that only one program
could be run at a time.
Types of DOS commands
Any instruction given to the computer to perform a specific task is called command.
The DOS has several commands, each for a particular task and these are stored in
DOS directory on the disk. The commands are of two types:

(a) Internal Commands: These are in built commands of MS-DOS i.e. these are
stored in Command interpreter file (COMMAND.COM). These commands reside in
the memory as long as the machine is at the system prompt (C:\>) level. To use these
commands no extra /external file is required. E.g. DATE, TIME, DIR, VER etc.

(b) External commands: These are separate program (.com) files that reside in DOS
directory and when executed behave like commands. An external command has
predefined syntax. for e.g. HELP, DOSKEY, BACKUP, RESTORE, FORMAT etc.

DOS COMMANDS

Internal commands: The internal commands are those commands that are automatically
loaded in the memory. Some commonly used DOS internal commands are

1 CLS 6. COPYCON 11.CD

2. DIR 7. TYPE 12. RD
3. DATE 8. REN 13. COPY
4. TIME 9. DEL
5. VER 10. MD

1) CLS :- The purpose of this command is to clear the display screen and redisplay the DOS
prompt at the top left corner of the screen.

Syntax:- C: / > CLS

2) DIR :- It is used to display the list of directories and files on the screen.

Syntax:- C : / > DIR

a. C: / > DIR/P – It displays the list of directories or files page wise
b. C: / > DIR/W- It displays the list of directories or files width wise
c. C: / > DIR/D –It display list of directories or files in drive D
3) DATE: - It displays the current system date. User can also change the current date with new date
by using this command.

Syntax: - C: /> DATE

Current date is: sat 3-25-2015
Enter of new date (mm-dd-yy):-

4. TIME : - It displays the current systems time user can also change existing time with new time by
using this command.

Syntax : - C : / > TIME

Current time is 12 : 39 - 48 : 36 p
Enter new time : -

5. VER : It displays the version of DOS being used currently.

Syntax : - C : / > VER

MS – Dos version 6 : 20
Copy card .

6. COPYCON : - The purpose of this command is to create a file.

Syntax : - C : / > COPY CON filename

Save the contents of file by pressing ctrl +z key combination at the last of the file. File name should
not be greater than 11 characters out of which 8 characters are for the name and 3 characters are for
the extension.
Extension is optional.

Eg : C : / > COPY CON RAM

I am a good boy
Press Ctrl+z
1 File is copied.
C:/>

7. TYPE:- Allows the user to see the contents of a file.

Syntax :- C :/ >TYPE FILENAME
Eg: C:/ > TYPE D:/> RAMU

8. REN : - The purpose of this command is to rename the old file name with new file name.

Syntax : - C : / > REN Oldfilename Newfilename

C : / > REN ramu somu

9. DEL:- The purpose of this command is to delete file. The user can also delete multiple files by
busing this command and long with while cards.

Syntax : - C : / > DEL file name . extension

C : / > DEL ramu
C : DEL x . prg.

10. MD:- The purpose of this command is to create a new directly or sub directly i.e. sub
ordinate to the currently logged directly.

Syntax : - C : /> MD directory

C : /> MD sub directory

Ex : C : / > MD college
Now user wants to create a sub directory first year in college directory then
C : / > CD college
C : / > college > MD first year

11. CD : - The purpose of this command is to change from one director to another directory or
sub – directory.

Syntax : - C : / > CD directory name

Ex : C: / > CD college
C : / > college > CD first year
C : / > college > first year >
If the user wants to move to the parent directory then use CD command as
C : / > college > first year > CD ….
C : / > college >

12 . RD: - The purpose of this command is to remove a directory or sub directory. If the user
wants to remove a directory or sub – directory then first delete all the files in the sub – directory
and then remove sub directory and remove empty main directory.

13. COPY: The purpose of this command is to copy one or more specified files to another disk
with same file name or with different file name.

Syntax : - C : / > COPY source path target path

C : / > COPY A :/> *. * C : /> chinni

2. External commands: - These commands are not permanent part of the memory. To execute or run
this commands an external file is required.
Example : [.] Dot exe, bat.
Some commonly used DOS external commands are-

1. CHKDSK:- The command CHSDK returns the configuration status of the selected disk. It returns
the information about the volume, serial number, total disk space, space in directories, space in each
allocation unit, total memory and free memory.

Syntax : - C : / > CHKDSK drive name

Eg:- C : / > CHKDSK D:
If drive name is not mentioned by default current drive is considered.

2. DISKCOPY : - Disk copy command is used to make duplicate copy of the disk like Xerox copy. It
first formats the target disk and then copies the files by collection. From the source disk and copied to
the target disk.

Syntax : - C : / > DISKCOPY < source path > < destination path >
Ex: - C : / > DISKCOPY A : B :

NOTE: - This command is used after DISKCOPY command to ensure that disk is copied
successfully.
3. FORMAT : - Format is used to erase information off of a computer diskette or fixed drive.

Syntax : - C : / > FORMAT drive name

Ex : C : / > FORMAT A:

4. LABEL : This command is used to see volume label and to change volume label.

Syntax : C : / > LABEL drive name

Ex : C : / > LABEL A:

5. SCANDISK : - This utility is used to repair and check various disk errors. It also defects various
physical disk errors and surface errors.
Syntax : - C : / > SCANDISK< drive names >
C : / > SCANDISK A :

6. MOVE : The purpose of move is move to files from one place to another place.

Syntax: C : / > MOVE < source path > < target path >

7. PRINT : This command allowed users to PRINT a text file to a line PRINTER.
Syntax : C : / > PRINT < files name >
C : / > PRINT ramu

8. TREE : This command displays the list of directories and files on specified path using graphical
display. It displays directories of files like a tree.

Syntax:- C : / > TREE > path

C : / > TREE A:

9. DELTREE: This command is used to delete files and directories same as by the del and RD
commands. This command is more useful than del and RD commands because it completely removes
specified directories.
Syntax:- C : / > DELTREE (path)

C : / > DELTREE A:/>ramu

If a user requires help on any DOS commands he/she may type help and
command name at the command prompt.

Wild cards: - It is the set of special characters wild are used with some commonly used
DOS commands there are two types of wild cards.

1. Asterisk (*˜)
2. Question mark (?)

1. Asterisk:- (*) The wild word will match all characters.

1. C : / > dir *.* - will display list of all files and directories.
2. C : / > dir R*.* - will display all files stored with first character R.

2. Question mark: - (?) This wild card represents a single character that a group or files have in
common.

1) C : / > dir ac .* ˜- will display all files having any first character and remaining name has given in
command.

2) C : / > dir ??? R . doc-will display all files having extension doc and having any first three letters
and fourth letter is R.