Booting is the process of starting a computer, which can be initiated by hardware such as a button press or by a software command. The booting process starts when the power button is pressed, and it ends when the operating system is loaded into the memory. The following are the steps involved in the booting process of the operating system:
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Loading of BIOS: When the computer is turned on, the CPU looks for a program called the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and runs it. The BIOS is a firmware that is located on the motherboard and is run by the CPU to start the booting sequence.
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POST (Power-On Self-Test): The BIOS performs a Power-On Self-Test to check if all the hardware components are working properly. If any component fails the test, the BIOS will display an error message.
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Loading of Operating System: After the POST is completed successfully, the BIOS loads the operating system into the memory. The operating system starts its own initialization, which includes loading device drivers, setting up libraries, etc. .
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Kernel Initialization: The kernel is the core of the operating system, and it is loaded into the memory after the operating system is loaded. The kernel initializes the system and starts the necessary system services.
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User-level Initialization: After the kernel initialization, the operating system starts the user-level initialization, which includes loading user-level services and applications.
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System Ready: The boot process can be considered complete when the computer is ready to interact with the user, or the operating system is capable of running system programs or application programs.
The boot process can be different for different operating systems and hardware configurations. However, the basic steps involved in the booting process remain the same.
