Computing Dictionary
bootstrap definition
operating system, compiler To load and initialise the
operating system on a computer. Normally abbreviated to "
boot". From the curious expression "to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps", one of the legendary feats of Baron von Munchhausen. The
bootstrap loader is the program that runs on the computer before any (normal) program can run. Derived terms include
reboot,
cold boot,
warm boot,
soft boot and
hard boot.
The term also applies to the use of a
compiler to compile itself. The usual process is to write an
interpreter for a language, L, in some other existing language. The compiler is then written in L and the interpreter is used to run it. This produces an
executable for compiling programs in L from the source of the compiler in L. This technique is often used to verify the correctness of a compiler. It was first used in the
LISP community.
See also
My Favourite Toy Language.
[
Jargon File]
(2005-04-12)