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kernel arguments
Settings handed to the kernel at boot to change how it starts up.
Just like a command-line program takes flags, the kernel accepts a line of parameters at boot — kernel arguments — that tune its behavior: which disk is root, how much memory to use, which features to enable or disable. The bootloader passes these in, making them the main knob for configuring startup without rebuilding the kernel. They're read once, very early in boot.
See also
- kernelThe core program of an operating system that controls memory, running programs, and hardware.
- initrdA small temporary filesystem loaded into RAM at boot so the kernel has the tools it needs before the real disk is ready.
- MBRThe first sector of a disk that historically told the computer how the disk is partitioned and how to start booting.