The (Basic Input/Output System) is a that resides on a motherboard and provides the necessary instructions to the computer during the boot process. It is responsible for initializing hardware components, such as the CPU and memory, and loading the operating system. The BIOS interacts with the Master Boot Record (), a ing scheme located on the first of a storage device, such as a hard disk or SSD.
The MBR contains the , which is a small program that allows the computer to start the operating system. In the past, most computers used BIOS and MBR, but nowadays, modern systems utilize (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) and GUID (GPT) instead. UEFI is a more advanced firmware that replaces the traditional BIOS. It provides enhanced security features, faster boot times, and support for larger disk capacities.
(Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) is a small amount of volatile memory used by the BIOS to store configuration settings, such as the date and time. Firmware refers to the software embedded in a device's hardware that provides critical functionality, such as the BIOS or the firmware of peripheral devices.
Partitions are logical divisions of a storage device that allow the system to organize and manage data efficiently. A is the main area designated for the operating system, while s serve as containers for s. Logical partitions reside within extended partitions and can be used to host additional file systems.
An is the one from which the computer boots. In a scenario, multiple operating systems can coexist on a single machine, allowing the user to choose between different operating systems during startup. The (Grand Unified Bootloader) is a commonly used boot loader for Linux systems that provides a menu to select the desired operating system.
The partition table is a data structure that stores information about all the partitions on a disk. It includes details such as the start and end sectors of each partition, the partition type, and the state (active or inactive). refers to the process of creating an exact replica of a disk, including all partitions and data. This is often done for backup purposes or when migrating to a new disk. , on the other hand, is the process of creating a complete copy of a disk or partition as a file that can be stored for backup or deployment purposes.
In a traditional hard disk drive, data is stored on circular magnetic s. Each platter contains multiple s that read and write data on different sectors. A sector is the smallest addressable unit on a disk, while a head is the component responsible for reading and writing data on the platters. The combination of multiple platters and heads is referred to as a , which represents the collection of tracks with the same diameter.
