LAB MANUAL
Experiment No.: 1
Aim
To study the hardware and software requirements of different operating systems such as UNIX, LINUX, Windows XP, and Windows 7/8.
Objective
- To understand the hardware requirements of various operating systems.
- To study the software requirements needed to run these operating systems.
- To compare different operating systems based on system requirements.
Theory
An Operating System is system software that acts as an interface between the user and computer hardware. It manages hardware resources and provides services to application software.
Different operating systems have different hardware and software requirements depending on their features and performance.
Hardware and Software Requirements
1. UNIX Operating System
Hardware Requirements:
- Processor: Intel x86 / x64 or RISC
- RAM: Minimum 512 MB
- Hard Disk: Minimum 10 GB
- Input Devices: Keyboard, Mouse
- Output Devices: Monitor
Software Requirements:
- UNIX distribution (Solaris, AIX, HP-UX)
- Boot loader
- File system support
2. LINUX Operating System
Hardware Requirements:
- Processor: Intel/AMD x86 or x64
- RAM: Minimum 512 MB (Recommended 1 GB)
- Hard Disk: 5–10 GB
- Input Devices: Keyboard, Mouse
- Display: VGA or higher
Software Requirements:
- Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, Debian)
- GNU utilities
- Boot loader (GRUB/LILO)
3. Windows XP Operating System
Hardware Requirements:
- Processor: 233 MHz or higher
- RAM: 64 MB (Recommended 128 MB)
- Hard Disk: 1.5 GB free space
- Display: Super VGA (800×600)
- Input Devices: Keyboard, Mouse
Software Requirements:
- Windows XP installation media
- Device drivers
- BIOS support
4. Windows 7 / Windows 8 Operating System
Hardware Requirements:
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster
- RAM: 1 GB (32-bit), 2 GB (64-bit)
- Hard Disk: 16 GB (32-bit), 20 GB (64-bit)
- Graphics: DirectX 9 compatible
- Display: 1024×768 or higher
Software Requirements:
- Windows 7 / 8 installation media
- Device drivers
- DirectX support
Comparison Table
| Operating System | Processor | RAM | Hard Disk |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNIX | x86 / RISC | 512 MB | 10 GB |
| LINUX | x86 / x64 | 512 MB – 1 GB | 5–10 GB |
| Windows XP | 233 MHz | 64–128 MB | 1.5 GB |
| Windows 7/8 | 1 GHz | 1–2 GB | 16–20 GB |
Procedure
- Study the specifications of different operating systems.
- Note the hardware and software requirements.
- Compare UNIX, Linux, Windows XP, and Windows 7/8.
- Analyze the differences in system requirements.
Result
Thus, the hardware and software requirements of UNIX, Linux, Windows XP, and Windows 7/8 were successfully studied and compared.
Conclusion
- Windows XP requires minimal hardware resources.
- Windows 7/8 requires higher system configuration.
- Linux is flexible and runs on a wide range of systems.
Viva Voce Questions
- What is an operating system?
- What are the main functions of an OS?
- Which OS requires the least hardware?
- Differentiate between UNIX and Linux.