When a computer is first turned on or restarted, a special type of absolute loader called _________ is executed.
When a computer is first turned on or restarted, a special type of absolute loader called Bootstrap loader is executed.
Bootstrap loader is a program that automatically executed by the processor when turning on the computer. The bootstrap loader is stored in the master boot record (MBR) on the computer's hard drive. When the computer is turned on or restarted, it first performs the power-on self-test, also known as POST.
In term of Ubuntu system, the process is as following: After you turn on your PC, BIOS (which is stored in ROM) automatically runs and initializes various parts of PC hardware. Then it checks for a specific sector in the defined first Boot device (typically Hard disk).
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.