Which part of an operating system is mainly responsible for resource management?

The kernel is the core component of an operating system that plays a vital role in resource management. It functions as a bridge between the hardware and the applications running on the system. The kernel is responsible for managing system resources such as the CPU, memory, device I/O, and system calls.

In terms of resource management, the kernel performs essential tasks such as scheduling CPU time for processes, managing memory allocation and deallocation, handling input/output operations for attached devices, and ensuring that applications can communicate effectively through system calls. By overseeing these functionalities, the kernel ensures the efficient and orderly execution of processes and maintains system stability.

The other components mentioned, while significant in their own roles, do not primarily focus on resource management. The user interface allows users to interact with the computer, the shell serves as a command interpreter for executing programs, and the file system manages how data is stored and retrieved but does not handle overall system resource management to the extent that the kernel does.