operating system: n. [techspeak] (Often abbreviated `OS') The
foundation software of a machine; that which schedules tasks,
allocates storage, and presents a default interface to the user
between applications. The facilities an operating system provides
and its general design philosophy exert an extremely strong
influence on programming style and on the technical cultures that
grow up around its host machines. Hacker folklore has been shaped
primarily by the Unix, ITS, TOPS-10,
TOPS-20/TWENEX, WAITS, CP/M, MS-DOS, and
Multics operating systems (most importantly by ITS and Unix).
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