What are the main functions of an operating system?

The main functions of an operating system are best captured by process management, memory management, and file system management.

Process management involves overseeing the execution of processes, coordinating their scheduling, and ensuring they efficiently share the CPU. This is crucial because the operating system must manage multiple processes that may need to run concurrently, handling their creation, execution, and termination while providing mechanisms for inter-process communication.

Memory management refers to tracking and managing the computer's memory resources, ensuring that processes have the necessary memory to execute without interfering with each other. This includes allocating memory when a process is created and reclaiming it when the process is finished. The operating system maintains a record of each byte in a computer’s memory and manages the allocation and deallocation of memory space as needed.

File system management is responsible for how data is stored, organized, and accessed on storage devices. It provides a way for the user and applications to create, read, write, and delete files in a structured manner, ensuring that data integrity and security are upheld. The operating system facilitates the organization of data into directories and manages permissions for accessing files.

In contrast, the other options include functions that may be part of broader system management or user interaction, but they do not capture the core foundational responsibilities