Operating system functions: Which of the following are characteristic responsibilities of an operating system?

Introduction / Context:
An operating system (OS) is the core software layer that manages hardware and provides essential services for applications. Understanding OS responsibilities helps clarify why applications can run efficiently and safely on diverse hardware platforms.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• OS manages CPU, memory, storage, and I/O devices.
• OS must handle faults and recover from errors when possible.
• Memory management is a central subsystem (allocation, protection, paging).

Concept / Approach:

Resource management covers scheduling CPU time, managing filesystems and devices, and sharing resources between processes. Error recovery includes handling exceptions, recovering from device faults, and providing reliability features. Memory management handles allocation, protection, virtual memory, and addressing. All listed items are textbook OS responsibilities.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Any standard OS syllabus includes these domains as primary OS services, confirming the comprehensive choice is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• resource management, error recovery, memory management (alone): Each is correct but incomplete.
• None of the above: False; these are indeed core OS duties.

Common Pitfalls:

Overlooking error handling as a formal OS responsibility; conflating resource management with mere hardware drivers; ignoring memory protection as part of management.

Final Answer:

All the above