Overview#
Booting (or
Bootstrapping) is the process, or chain of stages of loading the basic
software, usually the
Operating System into the
memory of a
device during power-on or general reset.
Booting process involves a chain of stages, in which at each stage a smaller, simpler application loads and then executes the larger, more complicated application of the next stage. Typically this process starts with execution of hardware-based procedures and may then hand-off to firmware and software which is loaded into main memory. Booting often involves processes such as performing self-tests, loading configuration settings, loading a BIOS, resident monitors, a hypervisor, an Operating System, or utility Applications.
Booting Process#
Booting varies depending on the
Device however, most
Personal Computer type
Devices follow this general outline:
The
BIOS is a resident
application such as
BIOS,
UEFI,
U-Boot or
Coreboot is executed from
Firmware on power on or reset.
The POST process is part of the BIOS
The
BIOS after the
POST must then locate the
bootable Devices. Typically this is performed by reading the
Master Boot Record of the
Storage devices that it has identified.
Once the previous steps are complete and the
Operating System is safely loaded into
RAM, the Booting process relinquishes control to the
Operating System and the
User Interface
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