Operating System Structure Questions and Answers

Q: Which of the following is NOT a system call ?

printf() is not a system call.printf() is a function of the C standard library (<stdio.h>). It formats its arguments into a buffer in user space and, when the buffer is flushed, calls the write() system call to pass the bytes to the kernel. So it uses a system call but is not one itself.fork() (create a process) and read() (read from a file descriptor) are UNIX system calls. exit() is the standard interface for ending a process, through the kernel's exit system call, and textbooks list it with the process-control system calls.

Q: Windows Registry consists of multiple root keys called

The answer is hives.The Windows Registry is stored on disk as a set of files called hives: SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE and SYSTEM under the system configuration folder, and NTUSER.DAT in each user's profile. Each hive is loaded under one of the registry's root keys, such as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS, which is why the top-level sections are described as hives. Examining these files is a staple of Windows forensics.Strictly, the root keys are the logical views and the hives are the files behind them, but hives is the only registry term among the options. Tables, folders and clusters belong to databases, the file explorer and disk storage respectively.

Q: When a computer is first turned on or restarted, a special type of absolute loader is executed called

The loader is the Boot strap loader.When a computer is switched on or restarted, a small absolute loader stored in ROM, the bootstrap loader, runs first. It loads the operating system (or a larger loader) into memory from a fixed location and transfers control to it. The name comes from 'pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps'.A compile-and-go loader places compiled code straight into memory and runs it, and a relocating loader adjusts addresses when loading programs; neither runs at power-on. 'Boot loader' is the informal name, but the textbook term for this absolute loader is the bootstrap loader.

Q: Which component of an operating system manages the interaction between the CPU and peripheral devices ?

The component is the Device Manager.The device management part of an operating system controls peripheral devices through their drivers, allocating them to processes, handling interrupts and buffering data between the CPU and devices such as printers and disks.The memory manager handles RAM, the file manager organises files and directories, and the process manager schedules and controls processes.

Q: Which of the following is an example of a batch processing operating system ?

The batch processing operating system is IBM OS/360.OS/360, introduced by IBM in the 1960s for its System/360 mainframes, ran jobs in batches submitted with job control language, without interaction during execution, the classic batch system.MS-DOS is a single-user interactive operating system, and Windows XP and macOS are interactive multitasking systems with graphical interfaces.

Q: Distributed systems should

Distributed systems should aim better resource sharing.A distributed system links independent computers so that they appear to users as one system. Its first goal, in Tanenbaum's account, is to make resources such as files, printers, data and processing power on any machine easy to share among users and applications.Meeting prescribed time constraints is the defining goal of a real-time system, and better utilisation and low overhead are concerns of any operating system, not the purpose of a distributed one.

Q: If a process fails, most operating system write the error information to a

The error information is written to a log file.When a process fails, the operating system records what happened, the error, the time and often a memory or stack dump, in a log so that the user or administrator can find the cause later. Unix systems keep these under /var/log through syslog, and Windows keeps them in its Event Log.Writing to another running process or to a new file each time is not how failures are recorded, and since the log file is the standard place, 'None of the above' is wrong.

21.

The part of OS that remains in memory permanently is called

A.Shell
B.Command Interpreter
C.API
D.Kernel

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2026,

Answer: D

The part of the OS that remains in memory permanently is the kernel.

The kernel is the core of the operating system: it manages processes, memory, devices and system calls, and is loaded at boot and kept resident in main memory until shutdown (which is why it is also called the resident monitor or nucleus). Every other program depends on it at all times.

The shell, or command interpreter, is an ordinary user program that reads commands and asks the kernel to carry them out; it can be loaded and unloaded like any other. An API is an interface through which programs request services, not a part of the OS kept in memory.

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22.

Which of the following is NOT a system call ?

A.fork()
B.exit()
C.read()
D.printf()

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2026,

Answer: D

printf() is not a system call.

printf() is a function of the C standard library (<stdio.h>). It formats its arguments into a buffer in user space and, when the buffer is flushed, calls the write() system call to pass the bytes to the kernel. So it uses a system call but is not one itself.

fork() (create a process) and read() (read from a file descriptor) are UNIX system calls. exit() is the standard interface for ending a process, through the kernel's exit system call, and textbooks list it with the process-control system calls.

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23.

Windows Registry consists of multiple root keys called

A.Tables
B.Folders
C.Hives
D.Clusters

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2026,

Answer: C

The answer is hives.

The Windows Registry is stored on disk as a set of files called hives: SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE and SYSTEM under the system configuration folder, and NTUSER.DAT in each user's profile. Each hive is loaded under one of the registry's root keys, such as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS, which is why the top-level sections are described as hives. Examining these files is a staple of Windows forensics.

Strictly, the root keys are the logical views and the hives are the files behind them, but hives is the only registry term among the options. Tables, folders and clusters belong to databases, the file explorer and disk storage respectively.

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24.

When a computer is first turned on or restarted, a special type of absolute loader is executed called

A.Compile and GO loader
B.Boot loader
C.Boot strap loader
D.Relating loader

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: C

The loader is the Boot strap loader.

When a computer is switched on or restarted, a small absolute loader stored in ROM, the bootstrap loader, runs first. It loads the operating system (or a larger loader) into memory from a fixed location and transfers control to it. The name comes from 'pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps'.

A compile-and-go loader places compiled code straight into memory and runs it, and a relocating loader adjusts addresses when loading programs; neither runs at power-on. 'Boot loader' is the informal name, but the textbook term for this absolute loader is the bootstrap loader.

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25.

Which component of an operating system manages the interaction between the CPU and peripheral devices ?

A.Device Manager
B.Memory Manager
C.File Manager
D.Process Manager

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: A

The component is the Device Manager.

The device management part of an operating system controls peripheral devices through their drivers, allocating them to processes, handling interrupts and buffering data between the CPU and devices such as printers and disks.

The memory manager handles RAM, the file manager organises files and directories, and the process manager schedules and controls processes.

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26.

Which of the following is an example of a batch processing operating system ?

A.MS-DOS
B.Windows XP
C.IBM OS/360
D.macOS

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

The batch processing operating system is IBM OS/360.

OS/360, introduced by IBM in the 1960s for its System/360 mainframes, ran jobs in batches submitted with job control language, without interaction during execution, the classic batch system.

MS-DOS is a single-user interactive operating system, and Windows XP and macOS are interactive multitasking systems with graphical interfaces.

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27.

Distributed systems should

A.meet prescribed time constraints
B.aim better resource sharing
C.aim better system utilization
D.aim low system overhead

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: B

Distributed systems should aim better resource sharing.

A distributed system links independent computers so that they appear to users as one system. Its first goal, in Tanenbaum's account, is to make resources such as files, printers, data and processing power on any machine easy to share among users and applications.

Meeting prescribed time constraints is the defining goal of a real-time system, and better utilisation and low overhead are concerns of any operating system, not the purpose of a distributed one.

Discuss in Forum

28.

If a process fails, most operating system write the error information to a

A.another running process
B.new file
C.log file
D.None of the above

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: C

The error information is written to a log file.

When a process fails, the operating system records what happened, the error, the time and often a memory or stack dump, in a log so that the user or administrator can find the cause later. Unix systems keep these under /var/log through syslog, and Windows keeps them in its Event Log.

Writing to another running process or to a new file each time is not how failures are recorded, and since the log file is the standard place, 'None of the above' is wrong.

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29.

What is the size of the Unicode character in Windows Operating System ?

A.8-Bits
B.16-Bits
C.32-Bits
D.64-Bits

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: B

The Windows operating system uses 16 bits (two bytes) for a Unicode character, in the UTF-16 encoding. Windows NT and later represent characters in the wide character form with 16 bits, which allows 65,536 code points in a single unit.

8 bits is the size of an ASCII character, and 32 bits (as in UTF-32) is used in some Unix systems but not as the basic character in Windows. 64 bits is not a character size in common use.

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30.

Which of the following features will characterize an OS as multiprogrammed OS ?

(a) More than one program may be loaded into main memory at the same time.
(b) If a program waits for certain event another program is immediately scheduled.
(c) If the execution of a program terminates, another program is immediately scheduled.

A.(a) only
B.(a) and (b) only
C.(a) and (c) only
D.(a), (b) and (c) only

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: D

All three features characterise a multiprogrammed operating system. More than one program is loaded in main memory at the same time (a). When a program waits for an event such as input or output, another program is scheduled at once so that the processor does not stay idle (b). When a program terminates, another program is scheduled immediately (c). Since the three statements together describe how the processor is kept busy by several resident programs, the right option is (a), (b) and (c). The options that name only one or two leave out a feature that also belongs to multiprogramming.

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