system software
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
system software as part of the operating system while others
might say the operating system was just the {kernel}.
(1997-09-22)