Homework #1 CS 1250 Summer 2014

1. Describe in your own words what are and how related are: software, programs,
applications, utilities.
2. Why computers need software and what software is most critical for the computer?
3. Which memory are programs and data stored in when not in use?
4. Which memory are programs and data stored in when in use?
5. Assuming you are in your home directory and you want to do the following, give the
command to do so
1. list files and directories in your home directory
2. list files and directories with details in subdirectory sub1
3. create subdirectory sub2
4. copy file f1 into f2
5. move file f2 to subdirectory sub1 as f
6. visit sub2
7. move back the file f into your home directory
8. go back to your home directory
1.) Software is any program, data, and file used to control and accomplish tasks in a computer. Programs
are a set of instructions that tell a machine what to do and they came before Software existed.
Technically a program can be a Software if it is used to run on a computer, while in general terms
programs can be used for any machine. Applications are software programs that directly benefit the
user by carrying out operations for a specific purpose and Utilities are software programs that analyze,
configure, optimize, or maintain a computer (in other wards enhance software).
2.) Without software, a computer wouldnt be able to manage the hardware in its system, rendering it a
chunk of useless parts. Operating systems (system software) are most critical for the computer because
it basically controls most of the hardware to be useful.
3.) They are stored in Secondary Storage memory (ex. Disk drive)
4.) They are stored in the main memory (RAM)
5.) 1. ls
2. ls sub1
3. mkdir sub2
4. cp f1 f2
5. mv ~/f2 sub1/f
6. cd sub2
7. mv sub1/f ~/f
8. cd