Management software allows the administration of a computer.
Software is a term of English origin that is accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary. The concept refers to the computer product that allows the development of various activities on a computer, a telephone or other technological device .
A system , meanwhile, is a set of ordered and interrelated elements that work together for a certain purpose . The notion comes from the late Latin systēma , in turn from the Greek sýstēma .
System software is called, in this framework, the group of programs that make the management and administration of a computer possible. Due to its characteristics, it is also known as foundation software .
System software operation
What the system software does is establish an interaction with the hardware (the physical part of the computer, such as the hard drive, RAM, etc.) and with the other programs . In this way, it differs from application software , which executes user-oriented actions.
The operating system and drivers are the best - known components of system software. One of the most important functions of system software is to transfer data between storage devices and RAM.
The Windows operating system is one of the most used components of system software.
The importance of the operating system
It can be said that the operating system makes it possible for the user and the computer to “understand” each other . Through its interface , the user can give instructions to the hardware and run the various programs on their computer.
The most used operating system on personal computers (PC) is Windows , developed by Microsoft . This system software, whose first version was released in 1985 , achieved great popularity for its windowed graphical interface. In this way, users do not have to resort to the command line or commands, as in the options available until then.
For devices manufactured by Apple , the operating system is known as macOS . Statistics usually place it in second place in terms of popularity, surpassed only by Windows . Also frequently used are the various versions of GNU/Linux , which is an open source system software distributed as free software .
System software and drivers
Drivers are another central element of system software. These tools are essential for the operating system to identify the hardware, allowing it to function correctly.
Nowadays, it is common for peripherals to be plug & play : that is, they can begin to be used as soon as they are connected. However, sometimes it is necessary to install files (drivers) for the recognition to be successful.
These drivers may be distributed on CD or available on the Internet . The user must run the file in question to complete the process of connecting the device (a mouse, monitor, webcam or other device).
It is important to note that the drivers are linked directly to the operating system. In other words : the driver that must be installed is the one corresponding to the operating system being used.