Comments on: What is an operating system? http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os "Now I feel like I know less about what that blog is about than I did before." Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:23:32 +0000 http://thetarpit.org hourly 1 By: The Matrix « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-5469 The Matrix « The Tar Pit Sun, 15 Dec 2024 14:08:35 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-5469 [...] isn't really the point of the so-called Matrix. Since we're doing metaphors, the Matrix, or the system if you'd like, is the software that runs a civilization, the sum of its people's thoughts and the [...] [...] isn't really the point of the so-called Matrix. Since we're doing metaphors, the Matrix, or the system if you'd like, is the software that runs a civilization, the sum of its people's thoughts and the [...]

]]> By: Artificial intelligence « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-5104 Artificial intelligence « The Tar Pit Sun, 26 May 2024 21:33:31 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-5104 [...] programming and the ELIZA experiment on one hand, while on the other you got all the wads of system software and "apps" to make your interaction with machines somewhat bearable. In other words: once we all [...] [...] programming and the ELIZA experiment on one hand, while on the other you got all the wads of system software and "apps" to make your interaction with machines somewhat bearable. In other words: once we all [...]

]]> By: On open sores supply chainz « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-4072 On open sores supply chainz « The Tar Pit Thu, 20 Apr 2023 18:07:11 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-4072 [...] the second layer, you're likely going to need a bunch of pre-existing software (e.g. an operating system) to support the very same whatever-it-is-you're-trying-to-achieve. If for example you're doing [...] [...] the second layer, you're likely going to need a bunch of pre-existing software (e.g. an operating system) to support the very same whatever-it-is-you're-trying-to-achieve. If for example you're doing [...]

]]> By: A new system for musical notation? « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3779 A new system for musical notation? « The Tar Pit Sat, 28 Jan 2023 23:31:45 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3779 [...] Speaking of musical instruments, the greatest achievement in musical tech of the last century -- and perhaps for a few more centuries to come -- is without doubt the synthesizer. In a certain sense, synths are very similar to computing machines: in the ideal, they are able to generate arbitrary information given arbitrary inputs, but the shape of concrete outputs is very much influenced by the concrete implementation of our "synth", which turns it from "the" synth into "a" synth. Can you see how this maps to my previous observation on musical instruments? Or, say, to my older one about "operating systems"? [...] [...] Speaking of musical instruments, the greatest achievement in musical tech of the last century -- and perhaps for a few more centuries to come -- is without doubt the synthesizer. In a certain sense, synths are very similar to computing machines: in the ideal, they are able to generate arbitrary information given arbitrary inputs, but the shape of concrete outputs is very much influenced by the concrete implementation of our "synth", which turns it from "the" synth into "a" synth. Can you see how this maps to my previous observation on musical instruments? Or, say, to my older one about "operating systems"? [...]

]]> By: Notes on OpenBSD device drivers « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3447 Notes on OpenBSD device drivers « The Tar Pit Fri, 18 Nov 2022 21:03:10 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3447 [...] a device driver is a piece of software, usually (but not necessarily!) delivered as part of an operating system, providing automation in order to mediate interaction between a user and a so-called "device". Said [...] [...] a device driver is a piece of software, usually (but not necessarily!) delivered as part of an operating system, providing automation in order to mediate interaction between a user and a so-called "device". Said [...]

]]> By: spyked http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3261 spyked Sat, 15 Oct 2022 11:28:31 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3261 Actually, let's formalize this. Given a computing system C (most commonly some piece of hardware, but <em>not necessarily</em>) with a prescribed set of properties P (the system specification), the so-called operating system, or the set of <em>system software</em> is that set of software S which implements P. Some P/S may include a thin layer of software running on top of the BIOS (which on IBM PCs is itself part of the system software whether you like it or not) such as a shell and an executable loader, in which case you get DOS. Another P/S may also include preemptive scheduling, dynamic memory allocation and fault isolation mechanisms for the tasks running on top, in which case you get Unix. Some other P/S may include an interface to the web, in which case you get whatever shitty web browser you're using. And so on and so forth, P is defined based on the whatever the system designer requires in order to operate C and S implements that. One important aspect entailed by this model is that it matters very little whether the so-called "OS" mediates access to hardware resources or not: if you install a GPU on your machine, then the application itself may as well include the driver, just as they did in the days of old, before the bureaucrats started deciding on what the OS "oughta" or "oughtn't" do. Actually, let's formalize this.

Given a computing system C (most commonly some piece of hardware, but not necessarily) with a prescribed set of properties P (the system specification), the so-called operating system, or the set of system software is that set of software S which implements P.

Some P/S may include a thin layer of software running on top of the BIOS (which on IBM PCs is itself part of the system software whether you like it or not) such as a shell and an executable loader, in which case you get DOS. Another P/S may also include preemptive scheduling, dynamic memory allocation and fault isolation mechanisms for the tasks running on top, in which case you get Unix. Some other P/S may include an interface to the web, in which case you get whatever shitty web browser you're using. And so on and so forth, P is defined based on the whatever the system designer requires in order to operate C and S implements that. One important aspect entailed by this model is that it matters very little whether the so-called "OS" mediates access to hardware resources or not: if you install a GPU on your machine, then the application itself may as well include the driver, just as they did in the days of old, before the bureaucrats started deciding on what the OS "oughta" or "oughtn't" do.

]]> By: spyked http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3135 spyked Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:25:25 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3135 Early comments on this article (somewhere else, since I didn't have a comment box back then) somehow managed to completely miss the point it was trying to make -- namely that the so-called "operating system", similarly to the so-called "<a href="http://thetarpit.org/2022/what-is-a-social-network" rel="nofollow">social network</a>" and many other terms corrupted by the plague of buzzwordism, is not <em>fundamentally</em> a technical term. When placed in a technical context, however, as it is here, the operating system becomes a tension point between a. the hardware on one side, and b. inasmuch as we're discussing <em>personal</em> computing, the human, on the other. The operating system is supposed to be a lube for interacting with machines -- which doesn't make much sense when the other side is <em>not</em> human, but for the sake of metaphor, sure, the operating system can lubricate "hardware-to-hardware interaction", for whatever purpose. The problem, as expressed here, is that there is no single "standard hardware" and no single "standard human" and thus some operating systems will be better suited for some combinations of hardware and humans. From this point of view, sure, Excel is an excellent operating system for the folks over at the corps. Not that I find any interest in this particular aspect, but nor do I seek to invalidate "the Excel viewpoint". In other words: fuck you and your dumb ideologies. Early comments on this article (somewhere else, since I didn't have a comment box back then) somehow managed to completely miss the point it was trying to make -- namely that the so-called "operating system", similarly to the so-called "social network" and many other terms corrupted by the plague of buzzwordism, is not fundamentally a technical term.

When placed in a technical context, however, as it is here, the operating system becomes a tension point between a. the hardware on one side, and b. inasmuch as we're discussing personal computing, the human, on the other. The operating system is supposed to be a lube for interacting with machines -- which doesn't make much sense when the other side is not human, but for the sake of metaphor, sure, the operating system can lubricate "hardware-to-hardware interaction", for whatever purpose.

The problem, as expressed here, is that there is no single "standard hardware" and no single "standard human" and thus some operating systems will be better suited for some combinations of hardware and humans. From this point of view, sure, Excel is an excellent operating system for the folks over at the corps. Not that I find any interest in this particular aspect, but nor do I seek to invalidate "the Excel viewpoint". In other words: fuck you and your dumb ideologies.

]]> By: What is a social network? « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3102 What is a social network? « The Tar Pit Tue, 27 Sep 2022 19:40:59 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-3102 [...] Outside of this definition, the so-called "social network" is as much nonsense as that fabled "operating" system. [...] [...] Outside of this definition, the so-called "social network" is as much nonsense as that fabled "operating" system. [...]

]]> By: Again on "general-purpose" tools « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-310 Again on "general-purpose" tools « The Tar Pit Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:15:58 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-310 [...] echoes precisely my later rants about operating systems. Perhaps now's a good time to restate my point, starting from the observation that in a certain [...] [...] echoes precisely my later rants about operating systems. Perhaps now's a good time to restate my point, starting from the observation that in a certain [...]

]]> By: Ode to Computer « The Tar Pit http://thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-153 Ode to Computer « The Tar Pit Sat, 09 Nov 2019 10:26:58 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2018/what-is-an-os#comment-153 [...] under a platonic abstraction hell of artificial languages, "interfaces", "engines", "libraries", "operating systems" and other "virtual machines", all in all anything but soft-ware. Not that it's you who lacks [...] [...] under a platonic abstraction hell of artificial languages, "interfaces", "engines", "libraries", "operating systems" and other "virtual machines", all in all anything but soft-ware. Not that it's you who lacks [...]

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