[Wylug-discuss] Re: [Wylug-announce] Next Meeting: Mon 13 Feb 2006 - What Is an Operating System?

[Mark P. Conmy]

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Dave Fisher wrote:
> 
> Hi,
>
> The next meeting is on Mon 13 Feb 2006 in the Stoner Building of Leeds
> University at 7.00pm.
>
> We have one definite talk:
>
>   Mark Conmy on "What Is An Operating System?"
>
>   I'll leave it to Mark to provide a full explanation, but the basic
>   idea is to take a really fundamental technical look at the stuff that
>   most Linux users, including experienced users, often take for
>   granted.

Actually (and I suspect this will displease and please people in equal
measure), this talk is specifically *not* intended to be a technical
look.  I'm happy to get diverted into various areas, but a good
technical look at this subject would take at least four or five WYLUG
meetings (and even then I'd have to skip the detail).

This talk will attempt to take a look at where OSs came from, why they
were (and continue to be) developed, what it is they actually do (in
a reasonably abstract way) and (to an extent) why we have so many*.
I hope it will be reasonably accessible to an audience of mixed
technical ability - only time will tell if I succeed. ;-)

* We may divert into why (in fact) the ecosystem is not actually
   that diverse.

If there are particular things that people might like answered along
the way, feel free to let me know and I'll *try* to incorporate it
into the talk.

Cheers,

Mark