Which one among the following tasks is NOT carried out by an operating system ?

An Operating System (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Its core functions include:

• Memory Management: Allocating and de-allocating memory space for programs (Option C).
• Device Management: Managing data transfer to and from peripherals like disks, printers, and monitors (Option B).
• User Interface: Providing a layered interface (CLI or GUI) for user interaction (Option D).

Option A is the correct answer because linking a program with the subroutines it references is primarily the task of a Linker. A linker is a separate system utility that combines object modules and libraries into a single executable file. While modern operating systems may perform dynamic linking during loading, the fundamental task of resolving subroutine references is traditionally attributed to the linker, not the core operating system itself.