Operating Systems

[LeftyGuitar]

Hi all,

I'm going to give a brief overview of operating systems and the the three main ones used today. There are actually a handful of Operating systems out there. However you have probably heard of these, Windows OS, MacOS and GNU/Linux. Note OS is often short for operating system when it comes to computing. Keep in mind this is just a basic overview of Operating Systems. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS does a basic check and makes sure your computer components are all good, then it will boot into the OS. Usually the bootable device will be the HDD/SSD.

Windows - Probably the best known OS. Its often pre-installed on prebuilt computers. The newest version of Windows at this time of writing is Windows 11. Windows originally started as a GUI for DOS(Disk Operating System). It is probably the easiest OS to use. Of course it is not without is problems. It has gotten better with its security issues over time.

MacOS/OSX - Apple's OS for Mac based systems. I don't have much experience with it as I've never really used a mac. Haven't used an Apple computer since the Apple II back in elementary school. If anyone has more to add, feel free.

GNU/Linux - Do you want full control over your OS? Well Linux may be for you, its fully open source and you can cusotmize it to your heart's content. Linux is often offered in formats called distros, each one has their own unique take on the Linux formula. Some are easier to learn/use than others, while others give you more control over your computer. Linux Mint is a popular choice for newcomers to Linux.

[Cutestfishinthesea703]

What does BIOS mean?

Why would someone want full control over their OS?

What is the purpose of an OS? like what do they do (ik this is a dumb question but I need you to draw it out for me please 😭)

[NR_Daddy]

The link below explains in detail what a BIOS is.
What it is in very basic terms is a set of instructions on a small chip that checks the basic running of the PC and allows the Operating System to load
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/what-is-a-bios/?orgRef=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&srsltid=AfmBOooncHKbJJQxFPh2BNsxFZMYcGftejJ9iYRnC_nA1mFvM6ypq3cb

Some people don't like that some OS (Operating System) providers, like microsoft, force their changes on users. Sometimes they take good things away and add functions of little to no use for most users.

The link below explains what an OS is.
It basically allocates computer resources like memory, graphics, processing power or storage space (hard drive) to software you might install. It is what allows you to interact with the programs you install. It also attempts to keep you and your data safe in a world where threats exist. 
https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/operating-systems

Edited October 30, 2025 by NR_Daddy

[LeftyGuitar]

To help answer the questions some more. BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It does a basic check of your computer when you turn it on. After everything is okay, it boots into the OS. Note that BIOS has been superseded by Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or (UEFI) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFI. It's still the BIOS, but like a more advanced and user friendly BIOS. 

If you're a computer geek, you probably want full control over your computer and OS. A OS is what basically makes a computer usable. Without a OS, a computer is basically usesless. If you're just a casual user of a computer, you'll probably be familiar with Windows. 

[NekoApril]

On 10/30/2025 at 10:21 PM, Cutestfishinthesea703 said:

What does BIOS mean?

Why would someone want full control over their OS?

What is the purpose of an OS? like what do they do (ik this is a dumb question but I need you to draw it out for me please 😭)

Someone might want more control over their OS because they have specific needs or simply want to have a good understand of what their computer is doing. Additionally, having a more open system means you can more easily integrate apps and tools into the system.

Also, the purpose of an OS is to provide and environment for running apps, including ways to talk to the physical parts of the computer and various utilities that make writing high-quality software much easier. It's also good to keep in mind that your OS is still just an app (technically a collection of various apps, namely the bootloader, kernel, and init system at a minimum). If you're familiar with Steam, it basically functions in a similar way to that, but for your full computer rather than just games. So yes, running a computer without an OS is possible, just generally not recommended outside of extremely resource constrained embedded systems, but even a lot of them will still have a tiny OS (often either a BSD or Minix based system) for handling certain tasks or simply making handling different hardware modules easier.

A lot of people will also include the environment that the user interacts with directly (called the "shell" if you want to look more into it), since most OSes come preinstalled with a graphical shell, including all consumer-facing OSes. But then come out the people that will say that only the kernel counts as the OS, even if that's a lot harder to justify IMO.

[Qewos]

On 10/30/2025 at 10:21 PM, Cutestfishinthesea703 said:

Why would someone want full control over their OS?

 

Well, the same way someone would want a full control over their car.
If a car is running smoothly, usually, you don't need to mess with it.
But let's say, you want to modify it. Rice it up. Change a few things.
You would want a car that you fully own and understand.
When things break, you know how to diagnose them and how to fix them.

Now, let's say you have a Tesla.
It breaks down in the middle of the road.
You get a random error code that does not say much.
You have no diagnosis tools. You have no repair tools.
All you can do is call Tesla.

IOS is the Tesla. You have no control over it. It basically controls you. If you don't like something, it's your fault for choosing it.

Windows is any generic reputable car. There is some info about it, but at the end of the day, it's not as modular and replacement parts can be hard to get.

Linux is a spectrum. It can be a solid old car, that has been running without issues for 20 years.(There are servers which had been running for that long, undisturbed) It can also be a car you have built by yourself with bike parts, that technically works, but breaks every 2 hours. At the core of it is the engine. That is Linux. What is build around it, you choose. There are pre-made build of it. These are called distros.