Booting
Historical Overview of Booting
Early computers like ENIAC and EDSAC had unique programming methods, while UNIVAC I and IBM 701 were among the first commercial programmable computers. IBM introduced the Initial Program Load concept with its mainframe lines, leading to the evolution of booting methods from physical input to removable media for complex programs.
Bootstrapping Process
Bootstrapping is defined as starting a computer via hardware or software command, where the CPU requires software in memory to execute. It differentiates between hard (power off to on) and soft (power not cut) reboots, with restarting from hibernation involving booting to attain an operative runtime system.
Boot Mechanism
Booting, short for bootstrap load, is derived from the phrase to pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps. It is a mechanism to load initial software onto a computer, with early computers using read-only memory (ROM) for start-up programs. The growth in ROM capacity enabled elaborate start-up procedures, as seen in systems like IBM System/3, 7040, 7044, CDC 6600, GE 645, and PDP-10.