Linux terminologies

 

Basic definitions

• init:

When a computer is turned on, it executes boot code that is stored in ROM. That code in turn attempts to figure out how to load and start the kernel. The kernel probes the system’s hardware and then spawns the system’s init process, which is always process number 1

• Bootstrapping:

Bootstrapping is the standard term for “starting up a computer.” The operating system’s normal facilities are not available during the startup process, so the computer must “pull itself up by its own bootstraps.”

A typical Linux bootstrapping process consists of six distinct phases:

• Loading and initialization of the kernel
• Device detection and configuration
• Creation of kernel threads
• Operator intervention (manual boot only)
• Execution of system startup scripts
• Multiuser operation