CST334 Week 1

    This first week in CST334, we went over the fundamental components that make up an operating system and how they interact with hardware and software. One of the key concepts we explored was the difference between kernel mode and user mode.

    Kernel mode grants programs unrestricted access to the system. This mode is mainly used by the operating system to manage hardware and execute critical tasks. In contrast, user mode grants more restricted access, which is more appropriate for normal programs, preventing them from harming the system or interfering with other processes. This separation is crucial for maintaining system stability and security, ensuring that user programs can run safely without jeopardizing the integrity of the operating system.

    We also started to get familiar with navigating around and editing files in Linux. We learned about file permissions in Linux, as well as how to display and change them, and how to run basic scripts from the command line. The script we ran was simple; it calculated the area of a rectangle or circle, but it demonstrated the potential of scripting, and I can see how they could be used to automate more useful tasks.

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