Modern Operating Systems is a book written by Andrew Tanenbaum, a version of his book Operating Systems: Design and Implementation which does not target implementation. It is now in its 5th edition, published October 2022 (ISBN 9780137618880), written together with Herbert Bos. Modern Operating Systems (mostly known as MOS) is a popular book across the globe and includes the fundamentals of an operating system with small amounts of code written in autonomous C language. MOS describes many scheduling algorithms.
computer science
Modern Operating Systems
Modern Operating Systems is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Modern Operating Systems rather than just read about it. In short: Modern Operating Systems is a book written by Andrew Tanenbaum, a version of his book Operating Systems: Design and Implementation which does not target implementation. It is now in its 5th edition, published October 2022 (ISBN 9780137618880), written together with Herbert Bos.
Key takeaways
- Modern Operating Systems belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
- Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
- Connect Modern Operating Systems to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
- Reproduce the core statement of Modern Operating Systems from memory before moving on to harder problems.
Reference excerpt
Illustrations
Worked examples
Example 1 — a first encounter with Modern Operating Systems
Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Modern Operating Systems claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.
Example 2 — changing one variable
Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Modern Operating Systems before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.
Example 3 — an exam-style question
Typical questions about Modern Operating Systems ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.
Applications of Modern Operating Systems
- In research
- Modern Operating Systems appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
- In technology and industry
- Engineering practice reuses Modern Operating Systems in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
- In the classroom
- Modern Operating Systems is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1992 non-fiction books, Books on operating systems, Computer book stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
- In everyday life
- Look for Modern Operating Systems outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Modern Operating Systems in 20 minutes
- Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
- Close the page and write down what Modern Operating Systems means in your own words.
- Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
- Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
- Explain Modern Operating Systems out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.
Frequently asked questions
What is Modern Operating Systems in simple terms?
Modern Operating Systems is a book written by Andrew Tanenbaum, a version of his book Operating Systems: Design and Implementation which does not target implementation. It is now in its 5th edition, published October 2022 (ISBN 9780137618880), written together with Herbert Bos.
Why does Modern Operating Systems matter?
Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.
How should I study Modern Operating Systems?
Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.
What does this page cover?
It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Modern Operating Systems.
Tags
- 1992 non-fiction books
- Books on operating systems
- Computer book stubs
- Computer science books