Operating systems, packaged

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR covers published, ready-made low-level software supplied as a physical packaged product and intended to interface with peripheral hardware, schedule tasks, allocate storage, and provide the default user interface when no application is running. Client and network operating systems are included. The model represents release qualification, replication onto the declared physical carrier, retail-package assembly, and the packaged product at the publisher gate.

Downloaded system-software files, software executed online, custom software development, software originals and ownership rights, network-management software, database-management software, development tools, application software, computing hardware, retail and wholesale services, downstream distribution, installation, use, maintenance, and end-of-life are excluded. A study that adds downstream stages shall report them separately and shall not label the result as the publisher-gate profile defined here.

The representative route is an operating-system release replicated onto an optical disc or USB flash drive and assembled with a paper retail box. The actual carrier, package components, operating-system edition, supported architecture, licence and release state shall be declared. Additional physical components used by a real package shall be added as separate atomic exchanges; absent conditional rows shall be marked not applicable with evidence.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.radio-television-and-communication-equipment-and-apparatus.operating-systems-packaged
classification_refs	CPC 3.0: 47811, Operating systems, packaged
covered_products	Published ready-made client and network operating systems supplied as a physical packaged product
excluded_products	System-software downloads; online software; custom software development; software originals; network-management, database, development-tool and application software; hardware; trade services
representative_product	A release-qualified operating system on a declared physical carrier in a paper retail box
production_route	Release qualification and mastering; physical-carrier replication; retail-package assembly; publisher-gate release
market_state	Market-ready physical package with declared carrier, packaging, edition, architecture, licence and release state

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Provide an installable published operating system that manages computer resources and supplies the declared client or network operating-system functions
How much	1 kg of market-ready packaged operating-system product at the publisher gate
How well	Release-qualified for the declared hardware architecture and client or network role, with package integrity and installation readiness documented
How long or cycle	One declared release/edition and its declared licence and support term; the cradle-to-gate result does not model use over that term
reference_flow_link	Fulfilled by 1 kg of the selected packaged operating-system product flow

Field	Value
Reference amount	1 kg
Reference product flow	Operating systems, packaged 6539b574-fb79-4d47-9618-06c83a56cdbf
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	publisher and production geography; release, edition and version; client or network role; supported processor architecture; licence type and term; support term; language or locale; carrier type and capacity; package component materials and masses; replication and packaging technology; production period; publisher-gate boundary

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
reference_mass	Reference product and physical carrier/package components	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Measure dry net mass at the publisher gate. Exclude secondary shipping and distribution packaging from the reference product, and disclose whether labels, manuals or activation cards are included.
electricity_energy	Purchased electricity	Net calorific value 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	MJ	Preserve metered electricity by production period and convert kWh to MJ using 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ before normalization. Do not add upstream grid emissions as foreground elementary flows.
component_mass_balance	Accepted carrier and retail-package components	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Sum the dry mass of every accepted carrier and package component incorporated into saleable output. Reconcile that sum with finished net product mass and explain labels, coatings, inks, adhesives or other differences.

5. System Boundary

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Release-qualified operating-system master, attributable publisher/replicator electricity records, and purchased physical carrier and package components entering the foreground publication-and-packaging process
starting_condition_role	Foreground publisher-gate starting condition with upstream carrier, packaging and electricity burdens supplied by linked secondary datasets
product_classification_scope	Published ready-made operating systems in the semantic boundary of CPC 3.0 subclass 47811; classification is supporting context, not canonical identity
recursive_input_rule	A packaged operating-system input reused or bundled into another package is recorded once as a product input with its own upstream dataset; do not reopen its carrier and packaging inventory inside the receiving foreground process
upstream_dataset_requirement	Link geographically and technologically representative upstream datasets for electricity, each accepted carrier, and each paper box; document proxy use and exclude downloadable-file candidates from the packaged-product identity
disclosure	Declare release identity, carrier and package bill of materials, production sites and period, electricity allocation, contract-manufacturing boundary, rejected production treatment, and all exclusions

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_publisher_gate	publication_packaging	Include release qualification and mastering activities attributable to the released package, carrier replication, package assembly, accepted physical carrier and paper-box inputs, process electricity, saleable packaged output, and any additional actual material or waste exchanges. Stop at transfer of the market-ready package at the publisher gate.	un-cpc-3-0-47811-detail; weber-2010-music-delivery
boundary_download_exclusion	product_scope	Exclude electronic files supplied by download; they belong to the separately defined system-software-download boundary rather than this physical packaged-product PCR.	un-cpc-3-0-84341-detail
boundary_upstream_links	upstream_inputs	Represent production of electricity, carriers and paper boxes through linked upstream datasets. Do not duplicate their upstream emissions as direct foreground emissions.	iso-14044-2006
boundary_component_completeness	package_configuration	Add every actual carrier, case, box, insert, label, activation card, ink, coating, adhesive and rejected material as its own atomic exchange when it crosses the foreground boundary; the named rows below are a minimum common inventory, not a cut-off permission.

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
publication_packaging	Operating-system release, physical replication and retail packaging	required	Always required for the physical packaged-product boundary; route-specific carrier rows apply only when present	Foreground production	1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output at publisher gate

Process: Operating-system release, physical replication and retail packaging (publication_packaging)

Inputs

Product flows

Attributable purchased electricity (electricity)

Purchased electrical energy used for release qualification, mastering, carrier replication and package assembly is recorded without adding upstream grid emissions as direct foreground emissions.

• Selected flow: Electricity 67b723a9-6f63-4802-adca-b52ce7967d47
• Flow property / unit: Net calorific value / MJ
• Amount rule: metered or invoice-reconciled purchased electricity attributable to saleable packaged output
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_electricity
• Sources:

Recorded optical disc containing the operating-system release (recorded_optical_disc)

Record accepted recorded optical discs incorporated into the package when the declared carrier route uses optical media. The Tiangong flow UUID remains unresolved because no exact operating-system-media candidate was confirmed.

• Selected flow: Recorded optical disc containing operating-system software
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured dry mass of accepted recorded optical discs incorporated into saleable packages
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_component_mass
• Sources: weber-2010-music-delivery

USB flash drive containing the operating-system release (operating_system_usb_drive)

Record accepted USB flash drives incorporated into the package when the declared carrier route uses USB flash memory. The Tiangong flow UUID remains unresolved because no exact operating-system USB carrier candidate was confirmed.

• Selected flow: USB flash drive containing operating-system software
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured dry mass of accepted operating-system USB flash drives incorporated into saleable packages
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_component_mass
• Sources:

Paper retail box (paper_box)

Record each paper or paperboard retail box incorporated into the packaged product. Printing, board grade, recycled content, coatings and folding construction remain foreground qualifiers.

• Selected flow: Paper box 12d5d744-7725-4dbc-b102-43c80547f777
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured dry mass of accepted paper boxes incorporated into saleable packages
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_component_mass
• Sources: weber-2010-music-delivery

Waste flows

No generic waste row is permitted. Add each actual rejected carrier, paper-box scrap, printed-paper scrap, plastic scrap or other waste stream as a separate atomic waste exchange with its measured treatment route.

Elementary flows

No generic direct-emission row is permitted. Record only measured direct elementary releases from the foreground sites; retain upstream electricity, carrier and packaging emissions in their linked upstream datasets.

Outputs

Product flows

Market-ready packaged operating system (packaged_operating_system)

The saleable reference output includes the declared physical carrier and retail-package components at the publisher gate.

• Selected flow: Operating systems, packaged 6539b574-fb79-4d47-9618-06c83a56cdbf
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: fixed reference output of 1 kg
• Value mode: Fixed value (fixed_value)
• Specificity: Generic (generic)
• Normalization basis: 1 kg market-ready packaged operating-system output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Identity reference (identity_reference)
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-structure-2025; un-cpc-3-0-47811-detail

Waste flows

No waste output is expected as the declared reference product. Rejected product shall be recorded as a distinct waste flow, not netted from the saleable output.

Elementary flows

No elementary output is part of the reference product.

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_subdivide_first	shared_release_replication_packaging	Subdivide processes and use product-, batch- or line-specific meters and bills of materials before allocation.	iso-14044-2006
allocation_causal_shared_energy	electricity	When direct metering is unavailable, allocate shared electricity by documented causal drivers such as measured equipment run time multiplied by rated or metered load; do not allocate unrelated office, hosted-service or development electricity to the packaged release.
allocation_shared_materials	carrier_and_packaging_inputs	Allocate shared carrier and packaging receipts by accepted mass incorporated into each saleable product. Record rejects separately and do not hide them in a net material factor.
allocation_disclosure	all_allocated_exchanges	Report the allocated fraction, driver, period, products sharing the process and a sensitivity check for every material allocated exchange.	iso-14044-2006

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_electricity	publication_packaging	electricity	Meter intervals and reconciled invoices	site; meter; timestamp; opening and closing readings or interval kWh; production line; equipment run time and load if allocated; saleable output mass; allocation fraction	Read dedicated meters where available; otherwise reconcile invoices to the declared causal allocation	kWh and kg output	Each production lot or monthly, whichever is more detailed	Same representative production period as output, normally at least 12 months or all lots for a shorter release campaign	Every publisher, replicator and packaging site inside the foreground boundary	Sum attributable kWh, convert to MJ and divide by saleable kg; keep each site's grid geography distinct	Meter calibration or invoice; reconciliation; allocation worksheet; production log; anomaly review
cp_component_mass	publication_packaging	accepted physical carrier or paper box	Purchase receipt, bill of materials, lot count and scale record	supplier; site; lot; component identity; material; carrier capacity; accepted count; sampled or total dry mass; rejected mass; saleable output mass	Weigh the accepted component lot or verify supplier mass with representative calibrated samples and lot counts	kg	Each incoming and production lot	Same lots as the packaged output	Every carrier-replication and packaging site in scope	Sum accepted mass separately by exact component and divide by saleable kg; keep optical-disc and USB routes separate	Supplier specification; calibrated scale record; bill of materials; acceptance and reject log
cp_output_mass	publication_packaging	packaged operating-system output	Finished-goods and scale records	release; edition; architecture; licence; carrier type; package bill of materials; accepted units; dry net mass; production date; site	Weigh finished accepted packages without secondary shipping packaging and reconcile to inventory	kg	Each lot	Entire representative release campaign or reporting year	All foreground sites releasing saleable packages	Sum accepted dry net mass; normalize all exchanges to 1 kg	Calibrated scale; release acceptance record; package bill of materials; mass-balance reconciliation

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_electricity_mj	electricity	attributable electricity intensity = metered or allocated kWh × 3.6 / saleable output kg	attributable kWh; saleable packaged-output kg; allocation fraction	MJ per kg reference output
calc_component_intensity	recorded_optical_disc; operating_system_usb_drive; paper_box	component intensity = accepted dry component mass / saleable packaged-output mass	accepted component kg by exact identity and route; saleable packaged-output kg	kg component per kg reference output
calc_package_mass_balance	publication_packaging	Compare finished net output mass with the sum of accepted carrier, box and every other included component; document the cause and measurement uncertainty of any difference	finished net output kg; accepted component kg	mass-balance reconciliation

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_product_identity	reference product	Verify that the output is a published operating system within the functional boundary and not a download, online service, custom development, application or other systems-software category.	Release manifest, product specification, CPC boundary review and sales configuration
dq_route_completeness	process inventory	Declare the exact carrier and packaging configuration and add every material and waste crossing the foreground boundary as an atomic row; do not substitute an umbrella packaging or waste label.	Bill of materials, process walk-through, purchase and waste records
dq_temporal_alignment	all foreground records	Electricity, component and output records shall cover the same release campaign or reporting period; disclose shorter campaigns and excluded lots.	Timestamped meter, invoice, lot and output records
dq_mass_balance	physical components and output	Reconcile accepted component mass, finished output mass and measured rejects for each route; investigate unexplained differences.	calc_package_mass_balance worksheet and scale records
dq_uuid_status	unresolved carrier rows	Keep unresolved Tiangong UUIDs empty and do not promote a classification, product-state, property or unit proxy. Re-run receipt-backed discovery before methodology review or publication.	Finalized UUID-search receipts and direct-read decisions
dq_review_scope	completed data package	Report goal and scope, inventory methods, limitations, allocations, checks and reviewer identity appropriate to the intended downstream use.	Study report and review record consistent with ISO 14044 scope

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validate_reference_flow	reference product	Require exactly 1 kg of Operating systems, packaged 6539b574-fb79-4d47-9618-06c83a56cdbf and all required qualifiers.	un-cpc-3-0-47811-detail
validate_boundary	product scope and process map	Fail if the reference product is a downloadable electronic file, online software, custom development result, application software, or if the model claims publisher-gate scope while omitting an in-scope release, replication or packaging activity.	un-cpc-3-0-47811-detail; un-cpc-3-0-84341-detail
validate_units	inventory amounts	Require reference and component masses in kg and electricity in MJ; verify every kWh-to-MJ conversion uses 3.6 and is normalized to saleable kg.
validate_atomic_inventory	all exchanges	Fail any combined carrier, packaging-material, utility, waste or emission selector. Require each actual physical component, waste and direct elementary release to have its own row, direction, type, property, unit and route condition.
validate_conditional_carriers	recorded_optical_disc; operating_system_usb_drive	Require at least one declared physical carrier for each packaged configuration. A conditional carrier marked not applicable shall be supported by the package bill of materials.
validate_allocation	allocated exchanges	Require the allocation driver, fraction, shared products, period and sensitivity disclosure; fail unexplained allocation or netting of rejects.	iso-14044-2006
validate_reconciliation	physical package	Require output/component/reject mass reconciliation and electricity-to-output reconciliation for the declared period.

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	secondary_dataset; background_dataset
downstream_use	Cradle-to-publisher-gate modelling of physical packaged operating systems and upstream supply-chain studies that need a mass-normalized packaged-software input
allowed_use	Use for a release and package configuration matching the declared operating-system role, architecture, licence, carrier, package bill of materials, geography, technology and production period
excluded_use	System-software downloads, online software, software-as-a-service, custom software, application software, unbundled computing hardware, or downstream installation/use/end-of-life without separately modelled stages
required_metadata	Canonical PCR id; CPC reference; release/edition/version; client or network role; supported architecture; licence/support term; carrier configuration and capacity; package bill of materials; sites; geography; technology; production period; reference flow UUID; unresolved UUID status; allocation methods
required_quality_disclosure	Data coverage and representativeness; meter/invoice and scale evidence; mass and electricity reconciliations; upstream dataset identities and proxies; conditional rows; exclusions; allocations and sensitivity; limitations; reviewer and review date
update_trigger	New carrier or package configuration; material bill-of-materials change; release or architecture change affecting production; site/grid/technology change; allocation change; exact Tiangong carrier UUID availability; newer product-boundary evidence; or a material data-quality finding

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
un-cpc-3-0-structure-2025	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, Central Product Classification Version 3.0 Structure, 30 June 2025, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Download/In%20Text/CPC_Ver_3.0_Structure_30Jun2025.csv	Official CPC 47811 title and hierarchy
un-cpc-3-0-47811-detail	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Version 3.0 classification detail for 47811, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Structure/Detail/EN/2100/47811	Operating-system functional boundary and client/network inclusion
un-cpc-3-0-84341-detail	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Version 3.0 classification detail for 84341, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Structure/Detail/EN/2100/84341	Separate download-product boundary and download exclusion
iso-14044-2006	standard	ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines, Edition 1, confirmed 2022, https://committee.iso.org/standard/38498.html	High-level LCA goal/scope, inventory, reporting, limitations and review framework
weber-2010-music-delivery	literature	Weber, Koomey and Matthews, The Energy and Climate Change Implications of Different Music Delivery Methods, Journal of Industrial Ecology 14(5), 2010, DOI 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00269.x; verified full-text copy: https://fepropaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/weber2010.pdf	Process-decomposition evidence that physical optical-media production and packaging are distinct; no amount range adopted