Abstract
The ‘operating system’ is the master program in a disk-based computer, and it is used to activate and control all other programs (or ‘files’ or ‘jobs’) in the system. It is invariably held on disk in PCs (Personal Computers), and hence must be transferred to RAM when the computer is switched on. This task is performed by a ‘bootstrap loader’ program, which is ROM-based and is entered automatically on switch-on (or ‘Reset’, that is when the RESET pushbutton is pressed).
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Bibliography
R. C. Holland, Microprocessors and their Operating Systems, Pergamon, 1989.
R. McMullan, MS/PC-DOS Prompt, 1986.
C. Jackson, MS-DOS and PC-DOS on the IBM PC, Glentop, 1986.
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© 1995 R. C. Holland
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Holland, R. (1995). Typical Bootstrap Loader Design. In: Microcomputer Fault-finding and Design. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13808-1_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13808-1_13
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-64166-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-13808-1
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