system software
<operating system> Any software required to support the production or
execution of application programs but which is not specific to any particular
application.
System software typically includes an operating system to control the execution
of other programs; user environment software such as a command-line interpreter,
window system, desktop; development tools for building other programs such as
assemblers, compilers, linkers, libraries, interpreters, cross-reference
generators, version control, make; debugging, profiling and monitoring tools;
utility programs, e.g. for sorting, printing, and editting.
Different people would classify some or all of the above system software as part
of the operating system while others might say the operating system was just the
kernel.
(1997-09-22)
Nearby terms:
Systems Development Life Cycle « systems jock «
Systems Network Architecture « system software
» systems operator » systems programmer » systems
programming
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