Disclaimer: This writeup is based on a Capture The Flag (CTF) challenge hosted on TryHackMe and it is intended for educational purposes only.

You turn on your phone or laptop every day, and everything just works: apps launch, files open, music plays, and the whole system feels seamless. But what actually makes all this possible? In the Computer Fundamentals module (coming soon), you explored the physical components of a computer and the different types of computing devices. Now it's time to uncover the invisible layer that ties it all together: the operating system, or OS.

Task 1 Introduction

I understand the learning objectives and am ready to learn about operating systems!

No answer needed

Task 2 The Invisible Manager

Which OS space has unrestricted access to your computer's hardware?

Kernel Space

Which OS responsibility manages user accounts, authentication, and permissions?

User Management

After opening the About This Computer shortcut, you are greeted with an overview of the system's specifications. What version of Ubuntu Mate is your computer running?

1.26.2

Check out the Hardware section of the System tab. How much memory is allocated to your machine?

1.9 GiB

Task 3 OS Interaction and Landscape

Open the File Systems tab in System Monitor. What Type is listed for the /dev/root device?

ext4

After opening the Home directory on the Desktop, how many user directories exist?

3

Navigate to Alex's home directory and explore the Documents folder. What is the flag value contained in note.txt?

THM{new_pc_for_free!}

Task 4 Conclusion

Complete the room and continue on your cyber learning journey!

No answer needed