What Does Bootstrap Mean?
A bootstrap is the program that initializes the operating system (OS) during startup. The term bootstrap or bootstrapping originated in the early 1950s. It referred to a bootstrap load button that was used to initiate a hardwired bootstrap program, or smaller program that executed a larger program such as the OS. The term was said to be derived from the expression “pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps,” starting small and loading programs one at a time while each program is “laced” or connected to the next program to be executed in sequence.
Techopedia Explains Bootstrap
Bootstrapping is the process of loading a set of instructions when a computer is first turned on or booted. During the startup process, diagnostic tests are performed, such as the power-on self-test (POST), that set or check configurations for devices and implement routine testing for the connection of peripherals, hardware and external memory devices. The bootloader or bootstrap program is then loaded to initialize the OS.
