L-1.7: System Calls in Operating system and its types in Hindi

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of system calls in operating systems, as discussed in the video "L-1.7: System Calls in Operating System and its Types." System calls are crucial for enabling communication between user programs and the operating system, and understanding their types can significantly enhance your grasp of OS functionality.

Step 1: Understanding System Calls

• Definition: System calls are the programming interface through which a program requests services from the operating system's kernel.
• Purpose: They facilitate various operations, such as file management, process control, and communication between processes.
• Importance: Knowing how system calls work is essential for effective programming and debugging in systems software.

Step 2: Types of System Calls

System calls can be categorized into several types based on their functions:

1. File-related System Calls

   • Used for operations on files.
   • Common system calls include:
     • open(): To open a file.
     • read(): To read data from a file.
     • write(): To write data to a file.
     • close(): To close an open file.

2. Device-related System Calls

   • Facilitate communication with hardware devices.
   • Examples include:
     • ioctl(): To control device parameters.
     • read(): To read data from a device.
     • write(): To send data to a device.

3. Information-related System Calls

   • Provide information about the system or processes.
   • Common calls include:
     • getpid(): To get the process ID of the calling process.
     • getuid(): To get the user ID of the calling process.

4. Process Control System Calls

   • Manage processes within the operating system.
   • This includes:
     • fork(): To create a new process.
     • exec(): To execute a new program in a process.
     • wait(): To wait for a process to change state.
     • exit(): To terminate a process.

5. Communication System Calls

   • Enable communication between processes.
   • Types of calls include:
     • pipe(): To create a pipe for inter-process communication.
     • shmget(): To allocate shared memory.
     • msgget(): To create a message queue.

Conclusion

Understanding system calls and their types is fundamental for anyone studying operating systems. These calls serve as the bridge between user applications and the hardware of the system. Familiarize yourself with each type of system call to enhance your programming skills and knowledge of operating systems. For further learning, explore additional resources on operating systems and try implementing some system calls in practice.