An operating system is a crucial aspect of a system. It works as an interface between the system hardware and software. The OS caters to tasks such as CPU and file management. In addition, it handles memory management, error detection and peripheral device management. The devices primarily include disk drives and printers, and system security. Three of the most popular operating systems are macOS, Windows, and Linux.
People with a basic understanding of the OS can handle different technologies. Hardware engineers, software developers, and computer system analysts require a solid understanding of the hardware. It can help them troubleshoot the difficulties. To be well-acquainted with the fundamentals of OS or to brush up your knowledge, consider taking the basic courses on OS. However, if you are well-versed in the basics, look for the best affordable operating system courses for intermediate learners. The internet has several commercial and free courses available.
In this article, we will take you through six such courses. Let us get started.
Here’s a quick round-up for all the six courses
| Course | Duration | User Rating | Certification Value |
| Fundamentals of Operating Systems – Udemy | 21.5 hours | 4.8 | Certificate of Completion |
| IoT Foundations – LinkedIn | 2 hours | 4.6 | Certificate of Completion |
| Microsoft Windows OS – Coursera | 23 hours (3 weeks at 7 hours/week) | 3.8 | Certificate of Completion |
| Exploring OS Fundamentals – Udemy | 2 hours | 3.0 | 30-day money-back guarantee, Certificate of Completion |
| Embedded Hardware and OS – Coursera | 15 hours | 4.2 | Certificate of Completion, part of a specialization |
| Ubuntu Linux Basics – LinkedIn | 1 hour 48 minutes | 4.7 | Certificate of Completion |
Online Affordable Operating System Courses for Intermediate Learners
1. Fundamentals of Operating Systems – [Udemy]
Cost: $12.99
It is a bestselling Udemy course with a 4.8 rating. The Fundamentals of Operating Systems is presented to you by Hussein Nasser. He is a recognized software engineer and author. This is a paid course. But you can use the discount code LEARNNOWPLANS to buy this course at a bargain.
This session comprises 21.5 hours of on-demand video and four downloadable resources. The course is responsive so you can view it on TV or mobile. However, as it is an intermediate-level course, students must have programming experience before enrolling. This course will benefit software engineers who aspire to understand the OS thoroughly.
What Will You Learn?
- Understanding the working of the operating systems
- Learning how applications run within the OS.
- Virtual memory
- Knowing the cost of the system calls
- Crafting efficient applications to understand how OS works
- Knowledge of how the CPU executes processes
- Socket programming
- File system management and storage
- The role of the kernel
- Caches and CPU architecture
Why Take This Course?
- With a 4.8 rating and solid reviews, it is one of the most popular affordable operating system courses.
- Upon completion, the course fetches you a certificate of completion.
- The course comes with lifetime access. So, you can access updated content even a decade from now.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Software engineers aiming for a thorough understanding of operating systems.
Industry Application
Helps software engineers build efficient and optimized applications by mastering OS fundamentals
Reviews
Gowrishankar N.
I can able to relate the jibrish words that were mentioned in OS articles. Really, a good stuff and also the way of presenting the content is too good.
Asmitha K.
Really good, in-depth videos. Like his way of teaching and, definitely didn’t find a reason to memorize any in the first place. All thanks to Hussain.
2. IoT Foundations: Operating Systems Fundamentals – [LinkedIn]
Cost: Available on Signing Up
It is a short course by Ryan Hu, an Associate Professor in the ECE Department at the University of Manitoba. So, you are learning from a knowledgeable professional with years of experience in teaching.
This two-hour session has a 4.6 rating. It revolves around the Internet of Things and how IoT offers developers many possibilities to explore. However, building systems for IoT is not easy. Moreover, systems are not equipped to schedule tasks or manage resources for IoT devices. This issue can be resolved with OS, and Ryan teaches you how to do it.
What Will You Learn?
- Importance of operating systems in IoT.
- Key OS characteristics specific to IoT.
- Differences between general-purpose OS and embedded OS.
- Operating systems for resource-constrained devices.
- Overview of Linux-based OSs for IoT.
- Introduction to Windows 10 IoT Core.
- Overview of FreeRTOS and its features.
- Understanding FreeRTOS system architecture.
- How to get started with FreeRTOS.
- Running FreeRTOS on the nRF51 DK board.
- Task execution and parallelism.
- Overview of the task scheduler.
- Basics of task management.
- Ensuring thread safety.
- Understanding deadlock situations.
- Using queues for intertask communication.
- Semaphore and mutex for synchronization.
- Memory allocation in operating systems.
- Memory allocation algorithm
- Utilizing software timers in your applications.
- Basics of I/O devices and peripherals
- Handling interrupts in an OS environment.
- Techniques for debugging OS-based applications.
Why Take This Course?
- It is one of the short, affordable operating system courses.
- The course is free and self-paced.
- It bags you a certificate of completion.
- There is a nice blend of theoretical and practical learning.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Developers interested in IoT systems and embedded OS.
Industry Application
Prepares developers to design and manage OS for IoT devices in resource-constrained environments.
Reviews
Joyce Wanjau
Good
3. Microsoft Windows OS by Illinois Tech – [Coursera]
Cost: Available on Signing Up
Presented by Kevin Vaccaro, an instructor from Illinois Tech, this Coursera course has a fairly decent rating of 3.8. He has a solid instructor rating on Coursera, showcasing his good reputation amongst the students.
It is an intermediate-level session that requires some experience in the domain. This 23-hour class involves an effort of 3 weeks at 7 hours a week. But you can learn on a flexible schedule, as it is a 100% online class. This course allows you to progress toward a degree program in Illinois.
The class comprises 12 quizzes and four assignments beyond the four modules. You need Windows 10 or above to take this course.
What Will You Learn?
- Examining the Windows Registry
- Exploring the Windows OS key features
- Demonstrating the use of command line tools
- Understanding of the OS management
- Supporting and maintaining the Windows OS
- Examining the Windows tools
- Integrated GUI tools to manage tasks, processes, and system services
Why Take This Course?
It is one of the free, affordable operating system courses.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Individuals needing to manage and support Windows OS environments
Industry Application
Enhances IT professionals’ ability to manage, troubleshoot, and optimize Windows environments
4. Exploring Operating System Fundamentals – [Udemy]
Cost: $11.99
It is a new Udemy class comprising 2 hours of on-demand video. The prerequisites to take this session involve basic hardware knowledge about computers. However, you need no programming experience. This class will benefit engineering students by giving them a basic understanding of computer architecture. Further, students who are curious about the system software interpretation and hardware will also benefit from this session. Lastly, learners interested in virtual memory will also gain from the class.
You will study with Dr. Poornima Selvaraj. She is an Associate Professor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai. Dr. Selvaraj holds about 2 decades of teaching experience. So, your decision to take this course will be fruitful.
What Will You Learn?
- Understanding the basic concepts of the OS
- Acquiring knowledge of memory management
- Exploring virtual memory
- Understanding the basics of input-output management
Why Take This Course?
- This class comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, if you experience any issues, you can seek a refund.
- You will bag a certificate of completion after this class.
- You can use the LEARNNOWPLANS discount code to save big on this class, making it one of the most affordable operating system certification courses.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Engineering students and those curious about computer architecture.
Industry Application
Equips engineering students with essential OS knowledge for roles in system software and hardware integration.
5. Embedded Hardware and Operating Systems by Eit Digital – [Coursera]
Cost: Available on Signing Up
It is a Coursera class by Farhoud Hosseinpour and Nguyen Gia Tuan. They are two of the most highly-rated instructors online. Both Farhoud and Nguyen have drafted several courses and are recognized in their field.
The course comprises four modules, each containing a graded quiz towards the end. Following it, is one peer-reviewed programming assignment. This class demands a prior experience in C programming. If you lack C programming knowledge, consider taking that C certification class before this Coursera session. This class equips you with new concepts from the industry experts. After completing the class, you will have relevant skills with hands-on projects to get a job in the domain.
What Will You Learn?
- An in-depth insight into two components of cyber-physical system – OS and hardware
- Planning and using embedded OS in resource-constraint devices for IoT
- Employing Cooja simulation to simulate and design wireless sensor network apps
Why Take This Course?
This course is part of the Development of Secure Embedded Systems Specialization. So, upon completing the class, you can take the other courses in the specialization to gain comprehensive knowledge.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Those pursuing careers in embedded systems and IoT.
Industry Application
Provides skills in developing secure embedded systems and IoT devices.
Reviews
HT.
This course is very good. Even though this course teaches you basic things it will help you to explore more. You will get to know about many new things.
MM
Excellent training module and I am very much satisfied in the teaching process
6. Ubuntu Linux: Operating System Basics – [LinkedIn]
Cost: Available on Signing Up
This LinkedIn class by Scott Simpson stands last on our list, but that does not make it any less good. Scott has taught over 2.5 million learners worldwide. So, his vast experience is reflected in his every course.
It is a reasonably well-rated session, with a 4.7 rating from the students who took it. In this one-hour, 48-minute class, you will get well-acquainted with the Operating system basics of Ubuntu.
What Will You Learn?
- Booting the system and its processes.
- Configuring and modifying the bootloader.
- Managing the system startup process.
- Updating and modifying the kernel.
- Changing kernel parameters.
- Updating software efficiently.
- Installing software from source.
- Understanding and using shared libraries.
- Exploring AppArmor for security.
- Examining system resource utilization.
- Managing and working with processes.
- Identifying and exploring resource bottlenecks.
- Exploring and upgrading system hardware.
- Analyzing system log files.
- Monitoring security and auditing the system.
- Generating and analyzing system usage reports.
- Automation and Scheduling
- Scheduling and verifying tasks.
- Implementing configuration management and automation.
- Developing a disaster recovery plan.
- Training team members and documenting changes.
- Managing incidents effectively.
Why Take This Course?
It bags you a shareable certificate that you can include in your CV while looking for jobs in the field.
Who Should Choose this Course?
Beginners and professionals interested in Ubuntu Linux fundamentals.
Industry Application
Trains IT professionals to manage and secure Linux-based systems, especially in corporate environments.
Reviews
Leon C.
Another banger from Scott Simpson; a very good quick-and-dirty introduction to Ubuntu, but there is also some interesting nuggets for more seasoned Linux users.
Shaun Kjellman
Another masterpiece by Scott. I’m binge-watching when not distracted by all the other care packages for my brain in the learning center here.
Bottom Line
So, these are the best intermediate operating system courses. Once you complete the intermediate-level class, upskill your knowledge by opting for one of the advanced, affordable operating system courses.
