system software

1 definition found

system software - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  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 as
     part of the operating system while others might say the
     operating system was just the kernel.  Some might say system
     software includes utility programs like sort.
  
     (2007-02-02)