What is a device driver?

• A. An operating system kernel module that manages memory.
• B. A hardware component that accelerates graphics.
• C. A programming language for hardware.
• D. Software that allows the OS to communicate with hardware peripherals.

Answer: (D)

A device driver is software that lets the operating system communicate with hardware peripherals. It acts as a bridge, translating the OS’s generic requests into device-specific commands, handling input/output, interrupts, and timing, and providing a consistent interface so applications don’t need to know the hardware details. This is why the description of software that enables the OS to communicate with hardware peripherals is the best fit.

The other descriptions miss what a driver does: memory-management inside the kernel is about managing RAM, not controlling devices; a graphics accelerator is the hardware itself, not the software that talks to it; and a programming language for hardware isn’t what drivers are. The driver’s job is precisely to enable software to control and exchange data with hardware.