Operating systems operate in two distinct modes to ensure security and efficient use of hardware resources: user mode and kernel mode.
User mode is where regular applications run. In this mode, programs have limited access to the system’s hardware, preventing them from directly interacting with critical resources like memory, CPU, or disk. Any attempt to do so results in a trap, which is handled by the operating system. This helps protect the system from malicious or malfunctioning applications that might try to harm the system.
Kernel mode is where the operating system’s core components run. In this mode, the OS has full access to all system resources, including hardware. It manages tasks such as process scheduling, memory management, and hardware communication.
