bootstrap loader

    A short program loaded from non-volatile
   storage and used to bootstrap a computer.

   On early computers great efforts were expended on making the
   bootstrap loader short, in order to make it easy to toggle
   in via the front panel switches.  It was just clever enough
   to read in a slightly more complex program (usually from
   punched cards or paper tape), to which it handed control.
   This program in turn read the application or operating
   system from a magnetic tape drive or disk drive.  Thus,
   in successive steps, the computer "pulled itself up by its
   bootstraps" to a useful operating state.

   Nowadays the bootstrap loader is usually found in ROM or
   EPROM, and reads the first stage in from a fixed location on
   the disk, called the "boot block".  When this program
   gains control, it is powerful enough to load the actual OS
   and hand control over to it.  A diskless workstation can use
   bootp to load its OS from the network.

   (2005-04-12)