bootstrapping
- noun
- /ˈbuːtstræpɪŋ/
- Specialized
- The bootstrapping process allows a computer to start up by loading its core components first.
Examples
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Set up the S/390 processor(s) for the transfer of bootstrapping code by the service element.
Academic text (1997) -
The key bootstrapping mechanism we're going to use is that edge switches are not going to hear LDMS from end hosts.
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The bootstrapping process is essential for initializing the operating system from a basic set of instructions.
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During bootstrapping, the system loads basic firmware to prepare for further operations.
Synonyms
The act of starting a machine, process, or system
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Bootstrapping comes from the picture of pulling yourself up by your bootstrap, a phrase that meant 'to lift yourself up'. In computing, bootstrapping is the process where a small program starts a computer and then loads the full system, which is why we also say a computer 'boots'.