Analysis Of Linux And Android Operating Systems

Operating Systems Student’s Name Institution Date Operating Systems Linux is an operating system with numerous Unix features designed to provide personal computer users with a cost-effective system instead of using highly expensive Unix systems. As for Android, this is a Linux based operating system for tablets and mobile devices. The Android platform has a touchscreen user interface with their components that enable a cell phone to be known as a smartphone. With the numerous benefits of using an Android device, Linux has much better benefits for the user. This includes the provision of high performance on both networks and workstations of the user (Ward, 2014). The Manjaro Arch Linux has numerous similar features related to Linux. The paper will highlight essential elements concerning Linux and Android operating systems. It will further assess the components of the Manjaro Arch Linux system Analysis of Linux and Android operating systems Linux Linux is an operating system that was created to provide personal computer users with an affordable operating system that is comparable to the typically used but more expensive Unix systems. Linux has been reputed as a highly efficient and fast performing system. Both Linux and Android are open-source operating systems that utilize code that is available and freely-distributed to the public (Al-Rayes, 2012). Linux runs on a limited or fixed function device, for instance, an embedded Linux on a smart television or a refrigerator. This enables the entire device to take full benefits of the extensive processing power of Linux and uses these peripherals entirely. It is therefore clear that when applied on a fixed function device, the embedded Linux is highly efficient and has exceptional performance (Mildred, 2012). It also uses reduced memory footprint and power, while simultaneously, providing the user with comfort when using the device for its intended purposes. Typical Linux systems manage their power through APM or APCI. Android, however, does not use either of these as it relies more on its Power Manager Module which acts as a Linux power extension. This feature has low-level drivers that control the peripherals supported such as screen display and backlight. In operating systems, power management is essential due to the ever-increasing demand for power by modern computers including laptops. To reduce the wasted power, various hardware power-saving components are used by Linux such as voltage scaling, clock gating and also disabling the memory cache. Each of these elements decreases the consumption of the power at the expense of the performance of the device (Al-Rayes, 2012). These benefits and disadvantages of the Linux system can be managed by the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) or the Advanced Power Management (APM). The APM is a simple BIOS-based power management subsystem which is typically used on older systems. Newer systems utilize ACPI based management. ACPI mainly focuses on the operating system while and offers additional options compared to the APM (Al-Rayes, 2012). This includes a tree structure for powering down devices which allow the subsystem components not to be switched off before it accomplishes this task. Android Android has already established itself as an essential operating system for numerous devices. Google created Android to act as an open source operating system that was based on the Linux kernel. Google chose the Linux kernel due to its proven driver model, the process and memory management, networking support, existing drivers and numerous other crucial operating system services (Pattnaik, & Mall, 2015). However, Google experts had been forced to make several adjustments to ensure that their Android operating system was capable of operating on various devices such as mobile devices efficiently. Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes middleware, operating system and also the key applications. The Android’s mobile operating system was built around the Linux kernel (Mildred, 2012). Additionally, it established The Android Open Source Project which was tasked with maintaining and further development of the Android platform. Several if not all devices that use Android, typically opt for Google applications service which is also part of the Android platform. The Android source code is released within an open source platform to assist in advancing open standards across mobile devices. Even though Android has been released as open, it is still currently being packaged with proprietary applications when sold on handset devices. Al-Rayes, (2012) stated that the Android source code is released within an open source platform to assist in advancing open standards across mobile devices. Even though Android has been released as open, it is still currently being packaged with proprietary applications when sold on handset devices. Similarly to the Linux mobile operating system (OS) the Android platform enables users and manufacturers to define their varying usage patterns. It has also effectively allowed vendors to update and upgrade their platform dynamically (Cannon, 2017). However, some applications usually do not highlight the distinction between Android and the embedded Linux. Android, although based on the Linux kernel, it has a complicated build system compared to the Linux system. For Android, it has become essential to expose all kernel level additions to the operating system layer to ensure they function in the user’s application (Yaghmour, 2013). Also, since Android needs graphics acceleration and memory for its virtual machine, the user will be unable to run modern Android versions on a device with less than 512 RAM. The choice of the embedded Android device should be chosen by the needs for the benefits it will provide to the user. Most embedded devices have high performance and increased graphics capabilities. This has made such devices build on the Android platform a suitable alternative due to their additional capabilities. Mobile phones and tablets are embedded devices which run on the Android platform. With the significant volume of these devices and the rapid advancements in technology, these have altered the definition of embedded Linux (Yaghmour, 2013). Additionally, with the increased hardware capabilities in numerous devices, the embedded Linux is rarely used especially due to its limitations in storage and processor capabilities. However, the Android platform has allowed users including manufacturers to determine their specific usage patterns. It also enables vendors to update and dynamically upgrade the Android platform (Pattnaik, & Mall, 2015). Although Android and Linux utilize a similar kernel, Android focuses on the vertical integration of the user’s space components based on the Linux kernel. The user-friendliness of Android lies in its ability to be optimized and customized, however; the entire OS can be maintained. This enables the environment of application development to be consistent (Al-Rayes, 2012). This means that Android core images have a considerable footprint in the maintenance of this standardization. Manjaro Arch Linux Analysis The Manjaro Arch Linux is an Arch-based distribution which is highl...