Index

Sr. No. Title Page No.

Part A
1 Introduction 4

2 Aim 4

3 Course Outcome 4

4 Proposed methodology 5

6 Action Plan 5

Part B
7 Rationale 7

8 Course Outcome 7

9 Advantages and Disadvantages 8

10 Actual Resources used 9

11 Skill developed 10

12 Application 11

13 Conclusion 12

14 References 13

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 Part A
Micro project Proposal

“Report on Various Generations of Operating System”

Introduction:-
An operating system is a very important part of a computer system.
The operating system is responsible for establishing communication
between the user and the system. The operating systems are now very
efficient, fast, and organized but it is not like that in the early times. It
has taken decades for an operating system to come this long way. The
evolution of operating systems can be illustrated using different
generations of the operating system.

Fig.Architecture of Operating System

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 As we know, an operating system is a program that manages all the
interactions of hardware with a user and different external
components of a system. Its main objective is to provide an interface
where user can easily do their task without worrying about what is
going on inside the computer system and internal levels. The
generations of an operating system are described according to the
major changes that occur in them from the beginning until now.
Operating system generations evolved over time:

1. Zeroth Generation:No distinct OS, direct hardware interaction.

2. First Generation: Simple batch systems.
3. Second Generation: Introduction of multitasking and multiprogramming.
4. Third Generation: Time-sharing systems and the rise of high-level
programming languages
5. Fourth Generation: Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) and personal computers.
Each generation marked advancements in functionality, user interface, and
system capabilities.

Aim of the project:-

Report on Various Generations of Operating System

Course outcome:-

CO.1 : Install operating system and configure it.

CO.2 : Use operating system tools to perform various functions.

Purposed methodology:-

1) Selection of topic.
2) Discussion on the selected topic.
3) Collect basic information about topic by given resources.
4) Divide work into group members
5) Start working on it with proper knowledge.

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Action Plan:-

Sr. Name of activity Plan start date Plan end date Name of
No responsible
team
members

1 Topic selection and

Discussion on project topic
All members

2 Collection information
related project and analyst
All members
it

3 Create proposal All members

4 Design the project model All members

7 Create the report All members

8 Report presentation All members

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 Part B
Rationale:-
We, humans, are not able to learn or understand computer language and this is also
valid for computers. They are also unable to understand human language. So, the
operating system works here for managing all these works and provide an
environment where the human can easily do their work on a system. Following are
the types of approaches that we need to know using which an operating system is
designed for different kinds of users:-

The first approach is to code, design, and implement an operating system that is
suitable for a particular type of machine at one site. In this approach, we are
designing the operating system specifically for one machine. So, we just take into
account just one machine and we are figuring out what are the requirements of this
machine and then we design the operating system. But this approach is good only
when we are concerned about one machine only. This will not be a very efficient
technique from a larger perspective because we want our operation to be able to work
in multiple systems without having to redesign it.

The second approach is operating systems that are designed and coded for working
on a variety of machines at a variety of sites with many types of peripheral systems.
It means this operating system will be able to work on a class of machines or a variety
of machines irrespective of their configuration and the kind of machine they are.
Suppose you have an operating system Linux Mint and you have this operating
system on the CD and you installed that Linux Mint operating system on your
computer system.

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 Five Generations of Operating Systems

The changes that we can see in the operating system from its beginning to now are
divided into four major generations. Let us see the four generations of operating
systems in detail one by one and understand them in a better way.

1. Zero th Generation (1940) :-

The term 0th generation is used to refer to the period of development of computing
when Charles Babbage invented the Analytical Engine and later John Atanasoff
created a computer in 1940. The hardware component technology of this period was
electronic vacuum tubes. There was no Operating System available for this
generation computer and computer programs were written in machine language. This
computers in this generation were inefficient and dependent on the varying
competencies of the individual programmer as operators.

Advantages:

1. Systems were very basic, typically involving direct hardware control without a
true operating system.
2. Direct, efficient access to hardware.

Disadvantages:

1. Lacked the advanced features and user-friendly interfaces of later generations.

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2. The First Generation ( 1945 - 1955 ): Vacuum Tubes and Plug boards :-

The first generation of the operating system is described between the years 1945 to
1955. This was the time of the Second World War. Even digital computers were not
built till then. For calculation purposes, people use a machine called calculating
engines that are constructed using mechanical relays. These mechanical relays work
very slowly and for that reason, the mechanical relays were replaced with vacuum
tubes with the passing of time. These are slow machines. All the tasks related to these
machines like designing, building, and maintaining were managed by a single group
of people.

Fig.1.First generation of Operating system

At that time, the concept of programming language was totally unknown and no
operating system was there present at that time. So, all the programming and
calculations were done using machine language. After that punch cards were
introduced in 1950. Now, the programs are written on these punch cards and inserted
into the system where the system reads the cards. These punch cards improved the
performance of the computer system.

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The operating system of these periods makes the transition between jobs smooth.
This operating system was the starting of the batch processing system in which jobs
are gathered together and executed in a sequence. When one job was running, total
control of the machine was at that job only. Other jobs are then held in waiting until
the running job gets totally executed. After that, the other job starts to run.

Advantages:

1. Introduced features like batch processing.

2. Allowing for the execution of multiple jobs in sequence. (Basic)

Disadvantages:

1. Systems lacked user-friendly interfaces and multitasking capabilities.

2. They were often hardware-dependent and lacked portability between different
computer architectures.
3. Systems had limited support for error handling and recovery.

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3. The Second Generation (1955 - 1965): Transistors and Batch Systems:-

The second generation of operating systems, let to face the development of the shared
system with multiprogramming and the beginning of multiprocessing.
Multiprogramming is defined as the system in which many user programs are stored
in the main storage at once and switching between the jobs is done by the processor.
In multiprogramming, the power of a machine is increased by using many processors
in a single machine. In this generation, real-time systems are emerged to get a quick
and real-time response where computers are used to control the working and
functionality of industries like oil refineries, coal factories, etc.

Fig.2.Second generation of Operating system

Also, these generation operating systems are used in military operations to keep an
eye on enemies and predict any kind of attack from the enemies because this
operating system works in real-time and real-time data can be accessed and
processed. Transistors were invented during this time which leads to the invention
of computer systems that were called Main-frame. These mainframes were stored in
big air-conditioned rooms and the staff was deputed to operate them. The batch

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System leads to improvement in the job execution time. Now, computers were fast
from an early time. The jobs were gathered in a tray and then they were stored in a
room called the Input room.
A magnetic tape is used to read the input. Then these magnetic tapes were placed on
a tape driver and a batch operating system was loaded. The first job was read from
the drive and running the job was the work of this batch operating system. And then
the output of that is written on the second tape. When all the batch gets executed, the
input tape and the output tape are removed and the tape that contains the output was
printed.

Advantages:

1. Introduced batch processing, improving efficiency by allowing the execution of

multiple jobs sequentially.
2. Featured more advanced software, including assemblers and compilers,
simplifying programming.
3. Systems were designed to be more hardware-independent, making them
compatible with a variety of computer models.

Disadvantages:

1. Faced limitations in terms of user interaction.

2. They lacked the interactive interfaces we're accustomed to today, making them
less user-friendly.
3. Systems had limited multitasking capabilities compared to modern operating
systems.

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 4. The Third Generation (1965 – 1980): Integrated Circuits and
Multiprogramming :-

Two types of computer systems were invented during this time (1965-1980), these
are a scientific calculator and a commercial calculator. Both these systems were
combined in the system/360 by a company named IBM. Integrated circuits become
in use in computer systems these times. The use of integrated circuits increased the
performance of systems many times as compared to the second-generation systems.
The price of systems also decreased due to the use of integrated circuits as making
integrated circuits on large scale requires a setup that costs high but can be produced
the circuits in very large numbers costs cheaper, from that setup.

Fig.3.Third generation of Operating system

Third-generation operating systems were also introduced by multiprogramming. It

means when there is one job that is under process, there is no need to wait in queue
for other jobs to get executed. Other jobs also get scheduled in the processor which
ensures that there should be no waste of time for the processor.

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Advantages:

1. Increased processing power – Computers were equipped with more advanced

and powerful processors, which allowed them to perform complex calculations
and process large amounts of data at much faster speeds than their
predecessors.

2. Improved memory – Computers also featured larger and more efficient

memory systems, which allowed them to store and retrieve data more quickly
and effectively.

3. Advanced input and output devices – Computers were equipped with a variety
of input and output devices, such as keyboards, mouse and monitors, which
made them more user-friendly and easier to interact with.

4. Operating systems – Computers were able to run more advanced operating

systems, which allowed for better organization and management of the
computer’s resources and improved the overall user experience.

5. Multitasking – Computers were capable of running multiple programs at the

same time, which increased productivity and efficiency.

Disadvantages:

1. Expensive – Computers were relatively expensive and not affordable for many
individuals and businesses.

2. Large size – Computers were quite large in size, making them difficult to
transport or install in small spaces.

3. Limited storage capacity – Computers had limited storage capacity compared

to modern computers, which made it difficult to store large amounts of data or
software.

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 4. Power consumption – Computers consumed a lot of power, which led to
increased energy costs and made them less environmentally friendly.

5. Limited connectivity – Computers were not as connected as today’s

computers, and had limited options for connectivity, such as wired
connections and no wireless options.

5. The Fourth Generation ( 1980 - Present ): Personal Computers :-

The time from 1980 to the present is termed the fourth generation of operating
systems and systems. Personal computers become in use as integrated circuits are
now easily available. Large-scale integrated circuits were integrated to make
personal computers. These integrated circuits consist of many thousand transistors
in a small silicon plate that may be of few centimeters in size.

Fig.4.Fourth generation of Operating system

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Because of the use of silicon, the price of microcomputers become less than
minicomputers. Because of their much less price, microcomputers starts to use
extensively by a large number of people, which ultimately increased the computer
network across the globe. The growth of networks created two types of operating
systems that are the first one is Network operating systems and the second one is
distributed operating systems. In these systems, a data communication interface is
used and also serves as a server. Now, people can use the network operating system
and the people are now able to get access and log in to machines that are remote.
This also allows user to copy their files from one machine to many different
machines.

Advantages:

1. Systems brought about significant advancements, including multitasking,

graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
2. Improved security features.
3. They offered better memory management, enabling more efficient use of
resources.
4. Systems supported networking protocols, paving the way for widespread
connectivity and communication between computers.

Disadvantages :
1. Challenges such as increased complexity leading to potential stability issues.

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2. Security concerns became more pronounced with the growing connectivity, and
evolving software complexities sometimes resulted in compatibility problems.
3. Resource demands for graphical interfaces and multitasking could strain
hardware of that era.

Course outcomes:-

CO.1 : Install operating system and configure it.

CO.2 : Use operating system tools to perform various functions.

Actual Resources Used:–

Sr. No Name of Resources Specifications Quantity

1 Laptop Dell Windows7 2

2 Website www.projecttopics.com
www.reserchgate.com

Skill Developed:-
1. Computer literacy.
2. Strong numeracy skill.
3. Attention to detail.
4. Strong communication skills.
5. Excellent problem-solving skills.
6. A logical approach to work.

7. The ability to explain technical matters clearly.

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Conclusion:-
• The generation of an operating system is classified into four major
generations.

• The classification was done on the basis of major changes and increased
efficiency that an operating system has gone through in time.

• In the first generation of the operating system Vacuum tubes and Plugboards
were introduced in the computer system.
• In the second generation of an operating system, transistors, and Batch
systems are introduced that perform the task execution in a batch comprised
of jobs. In this operating system, only one task gets executed at a single time.

• The third generation of the operating system leads to the invention of

integrated circuits. Now, the systems are much faster than earlier operating
systems. More than two jobs can be scheduled for the processor at a single
time in these operating systems.

• The fourth generation of the operating system was introduced by the use of
large-scale integrated circuits on a silicon plate. Personal computers become
general use by the public. The process of job execution is now much faster.

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References:-
Websites:

1) https://www.javatpoint.com/history-of-operating-system.
2) https://www.scaler.com/topics/generation-of-operating-system/

Books:

1. Operating System Concepts

By - Silberschatz Galvin
- Peter B. Galvin
- Greg Gagne
2.Operating Systems (Third Edition)
By -Achyut S. Godbole
-Atul Kahate

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