Operating Systems Interview Questions and Answers
This is a list of operating systems interview questions and answers. These questions are frequently asked in interviews for freshers as well as experienced candidates. These questions are designed to test your knowledge of operating systems and their concepts. You can use these questions to prepare for your next interview.
1. What is the POSIX standard and what does it specify?
The POSIX standard, or Portable Operating System Interface, specifies a set of APIs and standards for software development on Unix-like operating systems. It provides a common interface for interacting with the operating system, including file management, process management, and inter-process communication.
2. How does POSIX handle process management?
POSIX provides a set of functions for creating, managing, and terminating processes. These functions include fork(), exec(), and wait(). The fork() function creates a new process, the exec() function replaces the current process with a new one, and the wait() function waits for a child process to terminate.
3. What is the difference between POSIX and UNIX?
UNIX is a proprietary operating system developed by Bell Labs in the 1970s, while POSIX is a set of standards for ensuring compatibility and interoperability between different UNIX-based operating systems. UNIX is not necessarily POSIX-compliant, but many UNIX-like operating systems, such as Linux and macOS, are POSIX-compliant.
4. How does POSIX ensure compatibility between different operating systems?
POSIX defines a set of standard APIs, system calls, and command-line utilities that all POSIX-compliant operating systems must implement. This ensures that programs written to the POSIX standard will run the same way on any POSIX-compliant operating system.
5. What is the role of the C library in the POSIX standard?
The C library is a collection of functions and macros that provide standard functionality for POSIX-compliant operating systems. These functions include things like input/output operations, memory management, and string manipulation. The C library is a crucial component of the POSIX standard, as it provides a consistent programming interface across different operating systems.