The document discusses the role and functions of an operating system. It notes that an operating system acts as an intermediary between the user and computer hardware. It executes programs, makes the computer convenient to use, and efficiently uses hardware resources. The operating system controls and coordinates how hardware resources like the CPU, memory and I/O devices are used by different applications and users. It can be viewed from the user perspective and system perspective. The operating system manages resources, controls program execution and device operations, and acts as the kernel that always runs.