Can I install programs on a computer without first installing an operating system?
Thread Content
This is a great idea, because that’s exactly how the earliest computers worked. Then why wasn’t it done that way later on? It’s easy to understand, as there are more programs running. Just imagine: for example, when you are using a computer, you might have a Word document open for writing, a web page open to search for information, PS open to edit images, an image viewer open to check the effects of those images, a translation software open to translate foreign text, and headphones on to listen to music. At the same time, the computer’s background is running antivirus monitoring programs, online update checkers, vocabulary expansion programs for input methods, and so on. Now the problem arises: every program requires resources provided by the computer, including CPU processing power, the memory capacity of RAM, the read/write throughput of the hard drive, the network transmission capacity of the network card, and the internal data traffic within the system bus, among other things.
For a program, in order to ensure smooth operation, it naturally seeks to have as many resources as possible allocated to it. However, a computer’s resources are limited; if all programs compete for these resources, either no program will be able to run properly, or some programs will take over all the resources available for other programs. What’s more troublesome is that since program designers cannot predict what other programs will be running on the same computer as theirs, it’s very likely that the temporary data of one program will happen to be similar to the critical data of another program, which can lead to problems such as one program damaging the data of another. What’s even more troublesome is that our computer hardware is also manufactured by different manufacturers, and their underlying hardware systems vary as well. Neither consumers nor software developers want a software to work on one model of computer but not on another.
Therefore, we need a procedure to act as a coordinator. On the one hand, operating systems provide a range of low-level interfaces and upper-layer standards that \"level out\" the hardware differences between different computers; thus, as long as the operating systems are the same, the hardware can meet the minimum requirements for software to run, and in theory, such software can interact with each other. Furthermore, the operating system can allocate resources to all programs; any program that needs to use computer resources must request permission from the operating system. This allows for optimal utilization of computer resources while preventing conflicts between different programs. Overall, although the operating system itself consumes some computer resources, it helps to make the computer run more stably. It also reduces the workload for software developers, as programmers only need to deal with the standard interfaces of the operating system, without having to worry about the underlying differences in hardware systems.
Of course, operating systems also have additional problems: malicious programs and computer viruses can take advantage of these standard interfaces, and the algorithms used by operating systems to allocate resources to various programs are never perfect, let alone capable of keeping up with the endless updates to software. As a result, operating systems must continuously provide various firewalls, monitoring tools, and patches to address such issues, which is why those update prompts that seem impossible to get rid of keep appearing. Furthermore, operating systems are also provided by commercial companies, which always aim to make money from them. As a result, your computer either doesn’t allow you to install certain things as in Apple’s case, or it shows various errors such as black screens and blue screens, just like with Microsoft. So, solving one problem always brings about new ones, but fortunately the new problems are usually less severe than the old ones.
Modern CPUs come equipped with virtualization technology, which allows them to be divided into multiple parts, with each part handling certain threads. . . Which is what enables multiple software applications to be used simultaneously nowadays~~~
When it comes to operating systems, there’s no need to worry about Windows or Mac OS. Many programmers prefer a system called Ubuntu, which is completely open-source and free of charge. As long as one has the time, they can customize an operating system that suits their needs~~
One more thing: from what I remember, it’s not possible to run a program without installing a system. . . As far as I know, even the earliest computers, those that could only run one program, operated under the DOS system. . . Currently, there are only devices with a single function, such as calculators. In principle, they have input/output devices, registers, memory, and an operator, but they cannot be called computers; they are simply calculators. . .
I don’t quite understand. . But it seems that it’s not possible. . .
I’ll give you a chance to humbly ask about your family’s situation
Computers are composed of hardware with various functions, and a system is used to call upon and coordinate the operations and interactions between these components. Without such a system, it would be difficult to carry out any task, and as a result, various applications might become very complex.
With dreams comes motivation; P:L:L