User Operating System Interface

Summary

This lecture delves into the user operating system interface, highlighting two primary approaches: the Command Line Interface (CLI) and the Graphical User Interface (GUI). The CLI, also known as the command interpreter, allows users to input commands directly for the OS to execute, while the GUI offers a more user-friendly experience with visual elements and mouse interactions. The video provides practical examples of using CLI in both Linux and Windows to create and delete directories, demonstrating the process and commands involved. It also briefly touches on GUI's ease of use for everyday tasks.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ The lecture focuses on the user operating system interface, emphasizing its importance as a service provided by the operating system.
• 🔍 A user interface is defined as the means by which users interact with the operating system.
• 🔑 Two fundamental approaches for user interaction with the OS are identified: Command Line Interface (CLI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI).
• 💻 CLI, also known as the command interpreter, allows users to enter commands directly for the OS to execute.
• 📚 Users must remember the commands for performing tasks in the CLI, which can be challenging for those unfamiliar with the command set.
• 🎨 GUI is described as the most commonly used and user-friendly interface, involving menus, mouse, and keyboard for interaction.
• 🌐 The command interpreter's role can vary; it may be included in the OS kernel or treated as a special program.
• 📁 Examples of command interpreters include Windows' Command Prompt and Linux's Terminal.
• 📝 The script explains two methods of command execution: one where the command interpreter contains the task code, and another where it calls external programs.
• 📚 The process of creating and deleting directories is demonstrated using CLI in both Linux Mint and Windows 7.
• 🖊️ The ease of performing tasks using GUI is highlighted, contrasting it with the more technical process involved in using CLI.

Q & A

What is a user interface in the context of an operating system?

A user interface in the context of an operating system is a means that allows the user to interact with the system, facilitating the execution of tasks through either a command-line interface or a graphical user interface.

What are the two fundamental approaches for a user to interface with an operating system?

The two fundamental approaches for a user to interface with an operating system are the Command Line Interface (CLI) and the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

What is a Command Line Interface (CLI) and how does it work?

A Command Line Interface (CLI) is an interface that allows users to enter commands directly that the operating system will execute. Users must remember and enter the correct commands for the tasks they want to perform.

What is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and how does it differ from CLI?

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a user-friendly interface that uses visual elements like menus, icons, and a mouse or keyboard to interact with the operating system, making it more intuitive and less reliant on memorizing commands compared to CLI.

Can you explain the role of a kernel in an operating system?

The kernel is the core component of an operating system, often likened to its heart. It controls system resources and manages how processes and hardware interact within the system.

How is the command interpreter related to the kernel in some operating systems?

In some operating systems, the command interpreter is included within the kernel itself, while in others, such as Windows XP and UNIX, it is treated as a special program separate from the kernel.

What is a shell in the context of command-line interfaces?

In the context of command-line interfaces, a shell is a command interpreter that allows users to interact with the operating system through a command-line interface. Users may have multiple shells to choose from, each offering different features and capabilities.

How does the command interpreter execute tasks in the first approach mentioned in the script?

In the first approach, the command interpreter itself contains the code necessary to perform certain tasks. When a user enters a command, the interpreter executes the built-in code to carry out the task.

What is the second approach for command interpreters to execute tasks as described in the script?

In the second approach, the command interpreter does not contain the code for tasks. Instead, it calls external programs that contain the necessary code to perform the tasks specified by the user's command.

Can you provide an example of using the command-line interface to create and delete directories in Linux?

In Linux, you can create a directory using the 'mkdir' command followed by the directory name, e.g., 'mkdir Myfile1'. To delete a directory, you use the 'rm' command with the '-rf' option followed by the directory name, e.g., 'rm -rf Myfile1'.

How does the process of creating and deleting directories differ in Windows Command Prompt compared to Linux CLI?

In Windows Command Prompt, you use the 'mkdir' command to create a directory and 'rmdir' to delete one, which is slightly different from Linux where 'rm -rf' is used for deletion. Also, Windows uses 'dir' to list directory contents instead of 'ls' used in Linux.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ User Operating System Interface Overview

This paragraph introduces the concept of the user operating system interface, emphasizing its importance as a service provided by the operating system. It outlines two fundamental approaches to interfacing with the OS: the Command Line Interface (CLI), which allows users to enter commands directly, and the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which is more commonly used and user-friendly. The paragraph also touches on the command interpreter's role in executing tasks and the distinction between including it in the kernel or treating it as a special program.

05:00

🔍 Exploring Command Line Interface Execution Methods

The second paragraph delves deeper into the execution methods of the command line interface. It explains how a command interpreter can either contain the code for tasks within itself or call upon external programs to perform the tasks. The paragraph provides an example of creating and deleting directories using the CLI in both Linux Mint and Windows operating systems, illustrating the process of navigating to the desktop, creating directories with 'mkdir', listing contents with 'ls' or 'dir', and deleting directories with 'rm -rf' in Linux and 'rmdir' in Windows.

10:02

📁 Command-Line and Graphical User Interface Task Demonstration

The final paragraph concludes the lecture with a demonstration of performing tasks using both the command-line interface and the graphical user interface. It shows how to create and delete directories on the desktop using the command prompt in Windows 7 and highlights the ease of use of the graphical user interface for everyday tasks. The paragraph reinforces the understanding of user interaction with the operating system through these interfaces and ends with a note of thanks to the viewers.

Keywords

💡User Interface

A user interface (UI) is the point of interaction between a user and a system, enabling users to interact with the system through various input and output methods. In the context of the video, the UI is a crucial service provided by the operating system, allowing users to communicate commands and receive feedback. The script discusses two primary types of UIs: CLI and GUI, which are central to the theme of the video.

💡Command Line Interface (CLI)

The Command Line Interface, often abbreviated as CLI, is a text-based UI that allows users to execute commands by typing them into a command-line prompt. The video script explains that CLIs, also known as command interpreters, are one of the fundamental approaches for users to interact with the operating system, as seen in the examples provided for both Linux and Windows systems.

💡Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A Graphical User Interface is a type of UI that allows users to interact with a system using graphical icons and visual indicators, typically controlled with a mouse or touch input. The script highlights GUI as the most commonly used and user-friendly interface, contrasting it with CLI and demonstrating its ease of use in everyday tasks.

💡Operating System

An operating system is the software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides various services, including the user interface. The video script discusses the role of the operating system in providing services such as the user interface, and it uses examples from Linux and Windows operating systems to illustrate how tasks are performed through different UIs.

💡Command Interpreter

A command interpreter is a program that processes commands entered by the user in a CLI. The script explains that some operating systems include the command interpreter in the kernel, while others treat it as a special program. The concept is integral to understanding how CLI works in the context of the video.

💡Kernel

In the context of operating systems, the kernel is the central component that controls the system's resources and manages how processes are executed. The script mentions that some operating systems include the command interpreter in the kernel, emphasizing its importance in the system's architecture.

💡Shell

In the script, a shell is described as a command interpreter in systems that allow users to choose from multiple interpreters. Examples given include the 'Bourne Shell' and 'BASH' (Bourne-Again SHell), which are types of shells that facilitate user interaction with the CLI.

💡Command

A command in the context of the video refers to the instructions entered by the user in a CLI to perform specific tasks. The script provides examples of commands such as 'mkdir' for creating directories and 'rm' for removing files, illustrating how commands are used to interact with the operating system.

💡Task Execution

Task execution in the video refers to the process of performing operations or tasks within the operating system. The script explains two approaches to task execution: one where the command interpreter contains the code for the task, and another where it calls external programs to perform the task. This concept is central to understanding how CLI operates.

💡Terminal

A terminal, as mentioned in the script, is a program on Linux systems that provides access to the CLI. It is used to execute commands and interact with the shell. The video demonstrates using the terminal to perform tasks like creating and deleting directories on the desktop.

💡Command Prompt

The command prompt, also known as 'cmd' in the script, is the CLI for Windows operating systems. The video shows how to use the command prompt to navigate to the desktop, create directories, and delete them, providing a practical example of using CLI in a Windows environment.

Highlights

The user interface is one of the most important services provided by the operating system.

Two fundamental approaches for users to interface with the operating system: Command Line Interface (CLI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI).

The Command Line Interface (CLI) requires the user to enter commands directly, making it essential for users to remember the commands.

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the most user-friendly and commonly used interface, allowing interaction through menus, mouse clicks, and keyboards.

Some operating systems include the command interpreter in the kernel, while others treat it as a special program.

The command interpreter is also known as a shell, with examples including the Bourne Shell, C Shell, and BASH (Bourne-Again Shell).

In the first approach to task execution, the command interpreter contains the code for performing the task.

In the second approach, the command interpreter calls external programs to execute the tasks.

Example of using the CLI in Linux to create and delete directories using the 'mkdir' and 'rm' commands.

Example of using the CLI in Windows to perform the same task with the 'mkdir' and 'rmdir' commands.

The 'pwd' command is used in Linux to print the working directory, helping users navigate to the desired location.

The 'ls' command in Linux lists the contents of a directory, similar to the 'dir' command in Windows.

Graphical user interfaces are much easier and more intuitive, allowing users to create and delete directories with simple clicks.

The example demonstrations highlight the difference in ease of use between CLI and GUI for performing basic tasks.

The lecture emphasizes understanding both CLI and GUI to effectively interact with different operating systems.

Transcripts

In this lecture, we will study the user operating system interface.

Now, in the previous lecture, when we studied the operating system services,

we saw that the user interface is one of the most important services

that is provided by the operating system.

Now, what is a user interface?

A user interface is something that allows the user

to interact with the operating system.

So, in this lecture, we will see

a little bit more about the user interfaces

and we will see what are the approaches

that allow the user to interact with the operating system.

Now there are two fundamental approaches

for users to interface with the operating system.

Now, if you remember in the previous lecture,

we talked little bit about this.

that there are two fundamental approaches for

the user to interface with the operating system.

The first one being the command line interface or CLI.

So, the first approach is to provide a command line interface

Or a command interpreter,

that allows the user to directly enter commands

that are to be performed by the operating system.

So, this is the first approach

in which we have something known as the command line interface or CLI.

also known as the command interpreter.

In which the user have to enter the command,

of the task that he wants to perform.

So, the command has to be enter in the CLI

and based on the command the operating system will perform the task.

So, in this process,

the user has to remember all the commands

that he needs for performing a certain task.

And then the second approach is

to allow the user to interface with the operating system,

via a graphical user interface or GUI.

So, the graphical user interface is the most commonly used

as well as the most user friendly kind of user interface.

which you usually use in your day to day life.

So, in a graphical user interface what we have is

we have your desktop, with your menus,

and then using your mouse and pointing devices

you can click on your menus

or using your keyboard you can enter something

And in that way, you interact with the operating system.

So, even while you are watching this video

you got here using your graphical user interface.

So, these are the two fundamental approaches for the users

to interface with the operating system.

Now, we will see a little bit more in detail

about the command-line interfaces.

And then we will take an example of how to perform a certain task

using the command-line interface

in two different operating systems.

So, I will show you an example in Linux operating system

and also in Windows operating system in order to perform a certain task.

So, as I already told you the command line interface

is also known as a command interpreter.

And what happens is that.

Some operating systems include the command interpreter in the kernel.

Now, what is a kernel?

The kernel is like the heart of your operating system.

So, we will be discussing more about kernel as we move ahead in the series.

You must know that in some operating systems,

the command interpreter is included in the kernel itself.

Whereas others, such as Windows, XP, and UNIX

treat the command interpreter as a special program.

So these are two points that you should remember

that in some operating systems,

the command interpreter is included in the kernel.

Whereas, in some operating systems,

it is treated as a special program.

Now, you must have already known about the command interpreters

in different operating systems.

Like in your Windows you have the command prompt,

also known as the CMD sometimes.

And in your Linux, you have a program known as terminal,

which allows you to interact with the CLI.

So, I will show you the examples later on.

Now, on some systems with multiple command-interpreter to choose from,

the interpreters are known as shells.

On some system, you may have multiple command-interpreters

from which you can choose.

And the interpreter is known as shells.

For example you have the 'Bourne Shell',

the 'C shell', the 'Bourne-Again shell' also known as 'BASH',

you must have come across this B, A, S, H.

which stands for the 'Bourne-Again shell',

and the 'Korn shell', et cetera.

So, these are some examples of shells that you have.

Now, the question is how does the command interpreter

actually perform the task,

that you enter using a command.

So there are two approaches in which the command-interpreter

actually executes the task.

So, in the first approach, what happens is that

the code for performing the certain task

is included in the command-interpreter itself.

So, let's say that you want to perform a certain task.

And the task could be anything.

There are many tasks that you can perform.

Like creating a file, deleting a file,

copying, or moving a file

renaming a file, or executing a file, and so on.

There are many kinds of tasks that you may want to perform.

Now, let's say that you want to perform a task of creating a file.

Now, in the first approach, we said that

the command interpreter itself

contains the codes for performing a certain task.

Now, when you enter the command for creating a file,

what happens is,

the code for creating the file is

contained in the command-interpreter.

So, that code will be executed

from the command-interpreter itself when you try to create a new file.

Now, the second approach is that

the command-interpreter itself does not contain any code,

but the codes are written in certain programs.

So, there are certain programs

which are responsible for performing certain task.

And the command interpreter just called the program

based on the command that you enter.

So, the command interpreter itself does not understand

or does not know how to execute the command that you enter.

So, let's say that you want to create a file

So, in the second approach, you enter the command for creating a file.

The command interpreter is not going to run the code from itself,

because it does not have any code itself.

So, what it will do is.

It will call the program, which is responsible for creating a file.

So, that is how the second approach work.

So, in the first approach,

the code is contained in the command interpreter itself.

And in the second approach,

the codes are contained in certain programs

and the command-interpreter just calls the program,

when a certain task has to be performed,

when the command is entered.

So, that is how the command-interpreter works.

Now, I will show you an example.

of using the command-interpreter or the command-line interfaces

in two different operating systems.

So, let's say that we have a small task of creating two directories

and also we want to delete those directories after we created them.

So, I will be showing you how we can use the CLI

in Linux mint.

And, also how we can use the CLI in Windows to perform these small tasks.

So, here I am on a Linux main operating system,

Which is a UBUNTU based operating system.

And, as you see this is the desktop of my Linux mint.

And now we will see,

how we can use the terminal in order to interact with the shell

and perform a certain task.

And, let's say that the simple task that we want to perform is

to create a directory on this desktop,

and then to delete that same directory.

So, first of all, you have to open your terminal.

So, in order to open your terminal,

you can press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard.

And, then when you pressed that, the terminal gets opened up for you.

which looks something like this.

So, here the first thing that you see is your user name,

followed by your computer name, or your host name,

after this '@' symbol.

So, the first thing that we need to do here is

we need to go the desktop.

Because we are going to create a directory on our desktop.

And, right now we are not on the desktop.

So, in order to check where you are right now,

if you want to know your present location

there is a command called 'pwd'

which means 'print working directory'

So, if you press 'Enter', it will show you what is your current location.

So here you are in '/home/neso'.

And, you are not on the desktop.

So, we need to go the desktop.

So, in order to go the desktop there is a command called 'cd',

which means 'change directory'

and then you have to type desktop.

And, when you press 'Enter', you now enter the desktop.

Now, you can check again by typing 'pwd',

which prints your present working directory.

And, here now you are on the desktop.

Now, here we want to create a directory.

Now, in order to create a directory there is a command called 'mkdir',

which stands for 'make directory'.

and followed by space, you have to give a name of your directory.

So, let me just call it 'Myfile1'

And, when I press 'Enter' the 'Myfile1' directory gets created on the desktop.

Now, if you want to see, what are the contents on your desktop,

there is a command called 'ls', which means list.

and if you press 'Enter', you will see that 'Myfile1' is present on the desktop.

So, I can minimize my terminal and show you.

'Myfile1' is created on the desktop.

Now, let's say that we want to create one more file in same way 'mkdir'

and I call it 'Myfile2'.

So, if I press 'Enter' again and if I list out Myfiles again on the desktop,

you see that 'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2' are created on the desktop.

So, here we see 'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2'.

Alright!

Now, we want to delete these 'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2'.

So, in order to delete these there is an another command called 'rm',

which means 'remove'.

And, followed by '-rf'.

Now, this 'rm' is used to delete files,

And, if you want to delete directories,

you have to give this extra command called '-rf'

and then space and then you have to give the name of your file.

So, let's say, I want to delete 'Myfile1', which is the name of our file

And, when I press 'Enter', 'Myfile1' will now be deleted.

Now, if i try to list out 'Myfile' on the desktop by 'ls' command,

you see that only 'Myfile2' is present now because

we have deleted 'Myfile1'.

So, let's go and see on the desktop

'Myfile1" is gone, only 'Myfile2' is present.

Now, you can do the same thing for 'Myfile2' as well.

'rm -rf Myfile2'

And if you press 'Enter' and if you list out,

you will see that there is nohing on the desktop now.

And both 'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2' get deleted.

So, that is how you can perform tasks using the terminals.

So, this is just a simple example of using the terminal of Linux

Now, let us try to perform the same task in Windows.

So, here I am on a Windows 7 operating system,

and in order to do the same thing that we did in Linux

In Windows what we have to do is,

we have to go to your start menu and type 'cmd'

and click on 'cmd' which is your command prompt.

And, this is the command-line interface for Windows.

So, what we are going to do is

we are again going to create two directories,

'Myfile1' and 'myfile2' on the desktop.

and then we will delete them.

So, first of all what we have to do is.

We have to go to the desktop.

So, right now this is the location, which is 'C: \Users\ Neso> '

So, we have to go to the desktop, for that we will type the same command 'cd',

which means 'change directory' and then desktop.

Now, when you press 'Enter', you entered the desktop.

Now, in order to make the files or to create the directory,

what we will do is,

we will use a command called 'mkdir,

which means make directory, and then the name of our file.

So, which i will call 'Myfile1'.

So, when you press 'Enter', you see that 'Myfile1' is created on the desktop.

And, if you want to make an another file 'Myfile2', then use the same command.

And, 'Myfiles2' gets created.

Ad, if you want to see the contents of the desktop, you can type 'dir'.

In Linux, we use 'ls'.

So, in windows, you will be using 'dir'.

So, if you press 'Enter', you can see these are the files present on the desktop.

'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2'.

which are these two.

And, 'New folder' is the one, which is already present from before.

Alright!

Now, we want to delete 'Myfile1' and 'Myfile2'.

So, for that, we will use a command called 'rmdir'.

which means remove directory.

And then followed by the name of your directory

that is 'Myfile1'.

So, if you press 'Enter', you can see that 'Myfile1' gets deleted.

And if you want to do the same thing for 'Myfile2'.

You can type 'rmdir Myfile2'.

So that 'Myfile2' also gets deleted.

So, that is how you use the command prompt,

in order to do the same thing that we just did in Linux.

So, if you want to do the same thing using graphical user interface

it's very easy, you already know how to do it.

just right click, go to New, and go to folder.

And give the name of your folder and then your directory gets created.

So, it's very easy how to do using graphical user interface,

you almost do it everyday, in your day to day life.

And, if you want to delete it,

its very easy, just right click again, and go to delete,

and then it gets deleted.

Or you can just select it and press 'Delete' on your keyboard,

And in that way also it gets deleted.

So, that is how user friendly and easy it is to use graphical user interface.

And, we have also seen how to do the same thing using command-line interface.

So, in those examples we saw how we can use the command-line interface

to perform certain task in Windows as well as in Linux.

And also we saw a small demo of the graphical user interface.

So, I hope these examples helped you to understand

how the user actually interacts with the operating system

using this user operating system interfaces.

So, I hope this was clear to you.

Thank you for watching and see you in the next one.