Abstract: In the field of operating system, researchers and engineers both focus on how to enhance OS technology itself in different aspects and on how to promote their system software productions. However, there is rarely any work done on the standards of evaluating different general-purpose operating system in a rational and measurable way. In this paper,first we made a comprehensive research on different methods of comparing different general-purposed operating systems. Then we pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Based on the basic ideas of these methods,we proposed a technological evaluation standard of general-purpose operating systems, which compose both quantitative and qualitative comparison items. The comparison items were classified as seven measurement dimensions.The weight of comparison items or measurement dimensions is configurable. And default weights arc preset. We also gave the guidance and steps of how to evaluate different operating systems based on the proposed standard. Moreover,we described how to express the evaluation results of different levels. Through the comparison based on the proposedstandard,researchers and OS producers could evaluate general-purpose operating system in a rational and measurable way. We compared and evaluated RHEL 5. 5 and Windows Server 2008 based on this standard.

Key words: General-purpose operating system, Evaluation standard, Measurement dimensions, Comparison items