System software (or systems software) is computer software or an operating system designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.
Device drivers such as computer BIOS and device firmware provide basic functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or built into the computer. The operating system (prominent examples being z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux), allows the parts of a computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data between memory and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a platform to run high-level system software and application software. Window systems are components of a graphical user interface (GUI), and more specifically of a desktop environment, which supports the implementation of window managers, and provides basic support for graphics hardware, pointing devices such as mouse, and keyboards. The mouse cursor is also generally drawn by the windowing system. Utility software helps to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer.
Servers are computer programs running to serve the requests of other programs. The server performs some computational task on behalf of the software which may run on either the same computer or on other computers connected through a network.
In some publications, the term system software also includes software development tools (like a compiler, linker or debugger).
In contrast to system software, software that allows users to do things like create text documents, play games, listen to music, or surf the web is called application software.
Famous quotes containing the word system:
“Columbus stood in his age as the pioneer of progress and enlightenment. The system of universal education is in our age the most prominent and salutary feature of the spirit of enlightenment, and it is peculiarly appropriate that the schools be made by the people the center of the day’s demonstration. Let the national flag float over every schoolhouse in the country and the exercises be such as shall impress upon our youth the patriotic duties of American citizenship.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)