An operating system is probably the most important part of the body of soft­ ware which goes with any modern computer system. I ts importance is reflected in the large amount of manpower usually invested in its
construction, and in the mystique by which it is often surrounded. To the non-expert the design and construction of operating systems has often appeared an activity impenetrable to those who do not practise it. I hope this
book will go some way toward dispelling the mystique, and encourage a greater general understanding of the principles on which operating systems are constructed. The material in the book is based on a course of lectures I have
given for the past few years to undergraduate students of computer science. The book is therefore a suitable introduction to operating systems for students who have a basic grounding in computer science, or for people who have
worked with computers for some time. Ideally the reader should have a knowledge of prorramming and be familiar with general machine architecture, common data structures such as lists and trees, and the functions of system
software such as compilers, loaders, and editors. I t will also be helpful if he has had some experience of using a large operating system, seeing it, as it were, from the out­ side.