An operating system (OS) is the fundamental software that manages all of the computer's hardware and software resources.Specifically, an OS does several key things:Resource Management - It allocates resources like CPU time, memory, and storage space to different applications and processes.Hardware Abstraction - It provides a consistent interface for applications to interact with the hardware, so developers don't need to write code specific to each device.User Interface - It provides a way for users to interact with the computer, whether through a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface (CLI).File System Management - It organizes and manages files and directories on storage devices.Security - It provides security features to protect the system from unauthorized access and malware.