# OS/360 > Operating system for IBM S/360 and later mainframes **Wikidata**: [Q1690495](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1690495) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS/360_and_successors) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/os-360 ## Summary OS/360 is an operating system developed by IBM for its System/360 and later mainframes. First published on March 31, 1966, it manages computer hardware resources for these powerful machines. It was programmed using both assembly language and the proprietary IBM PL/S. ## Key Facts * **Classification**: Operating system * **Developer**: IBM * **Platform**: IBM System/360 * **Inception/Publication Date**: March 31, 1966 * **Programming Languages**: Assembly language, IBM PL/S * **Successors**: MVS, OS/VS1, OS/VS2 (OS/VS1 succeeded the MFT option of OS/360) * **Latest Version (provided)**: 21.8, published August 1972 * **Logo**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Old_IBM_Logo.png ## FAQs ### Q: What is OS/360? A: OS/360 is an operating system developed by IBM for its System/360 and later mainframes. It was first published on March 31, 1966, to manage computer hardware resources for these systems. ### Q: Who developed OS/360? A: OS/360 was developed by IBM, an American multinational technology corporation known for its contributions to the computer industry. ### Q: What programming languages were used to develop OS/360? A: OS/360 was developed using both assembly language, a low-level programming language, and IBM PL/S, a proprietary IBM systems programming language. ### Q: What computer platform did OS/360 run on? A: OS/360 was designed to run on the IBM System/360 platform, as well as later mainframes from IBM. ### Q: When was OS/360 first released? A: OS/360 was first published on March 31, 1966. A later version, 21.8, was published in August 1972. ## Why It Matters OS/360 holds significant importance as a foundational operating system for IBM's System/360 mainframes, a critical line of computers that shaped the computing landscape in the mid-20th century. Its development by IBM, a leading technology corporation, established important precedents in mainframe software design and resource management. The system's reliance on both assembly language and the proprietary IBM PL/S programming language highlights the complex engineering and innovative approaches required for early operating system development. Furthermore, OS/360 served as the architectural basis for several successor operating systems, including MVS, OS/VS1, and OS/VS2, demonstrating its lasting influence and its role in the evolution of IBM's mainframe software ecosystem. It was instrumental in enabling the functionality of these powerful machines by managing their essential computer hardware resources. ## Notable For * Being the primary operating system for the influential IBM System/360 mainframe series. * Its development by IBM, a major pioneer in the computer industry. * Being programmed using both low-level assembly language and the proprietary IBM PL/S systems programming language. * Serving as a direct predecessor and architectural foundation for later IBM mainframe operating systems such as MVS, OS/VS1, and OS/VS2. ## Body ### Overview OS/360 is an operating system, a type of software that manages computer hardware resources. It was specifically designed for the IBM System/360 and later mainframes. Its wikidata description identifies it as an "Operating system for IBM S/360 and later mainframes." ### Development and Release OS/360 was developed by IBM, an American multinational technology corporation founded on June 16, 1911. The operating system was first published on March 31, 1966. A specific version, 21.8, was published in August 1972. The logo associated with IBM at the time can be found at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Old_IBM_Logo.png. ### Programming Languages The development of OS/360 utilized two primary programming languages: * **Assembly language**: A low-level programming language with a strong correspondence between its instructions and the architecture's machine code instructions, with an inception dating back to 1949. * **IBM PL/S**: A proprietary IBM systems programming language, conceived in the 1960s, specifically used for mainframe operating systems development. ### Platform OS/360 was designed to run on the **IBM System/360** platform. ### Successors OS/360 was succeeded by several other operating systems: * **MVS** * **OS/VS1**: A 1970s IBM mainframe operating system intended for smaller installations, which specifically succeeded the MFT option of OS/360. * **OS/VS2** ### Related Entities OS/360 is related to various entities in the computing domain: * **operating system** (class): Software that manages computer hardware resources. * **assembly language** (class): A low-level programming language. * **IBM PL/S** (Thing): A proprietary IBM systems programming language. * **Fred Brooks** (Person): An American computer scientist (1931–2022) who worked at IBM. * **OS ES** (Thing): An operating system for the Soviet ES EVM line of mainframe computers, indicating a parallel development in a different country. ### Metadata The entity has a Freebase ID of `/m/03d2763`. Its Wikipedia title is "OS/360 and successors," and it has Wikipedia entries in multiple languages including English, German, French, and Japanese. It also has an Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: `technology/IBM-OS-360`. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Thing", "name": "OS/360", "description": "Operating system for IBM S/360 and later mainframes.", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS/360_and_successors", "https://www.britannica.com/technology/IBM-OS-360" ], "additionalType": "https://schema.org/OperatingSystem", "developer": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "IBM" }, "datePublished": "1966-03-31", "softwareVersion": "21.8", "programmingLanguage": [ "assembly language", "IBM PL/S" ], "logo": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Old_IBM_Logo.png" } ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013