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operating system
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operating system: /n./ [techspeak] (Often abbreviated `OS')
The foundation software of a machine, of course; that which
schedules tasks, allocates storage, and presents a default
interface to the user between applications. The facilities an
operating system provides and its general design philosophy exert
an extremely strong influence on programming style and on the
technical cultures that grow up around its host machines. Hacker
folklore has been shaped primarily by the Unix, ITS,
TOPS-10, TOPS-20/TWENEX, WAITS, CP/M,
MS-DOS, and Multics operating systems (most importantly
by ITS and Unix).
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