What is the primary function of an operating system?

The primary function of an operating system is to manage hardware resources. An operating system acts as an intermediary between computer hardware and the user applications, ensuring that the various hardware components, such as the CPU, memory, storage devices, and peripherals, work together efficiently. It allocates resources to different applications, manages system performance, and handles input and output operations, making it possible for users to interact with the computer effectively.

While providing applications, managing databases, and storing data are important aspects of a computer system, they are not the central role of an operating system. Applications often rely on the operating system to function, but the operating system itself is primarily focused on hardware management and resource allocation to enable the applications to run smoothly.