A Study of Initialization in Linux and OpenBSD

Abstract

The code that initializes a system can be notoriously difficult to understand. In secure systems, initialization is critical for establishing a starting state that is secure. This paper explores two architectures used for bringing an operating system to its initial state, once the operating system gains control from the boot loader. Specifically, the ways in which the OpenBSD and Linux operating systems handle initialization are dissected.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 15, 2005
Accession Number
ADA435220

Entities

People

  • Catherine Dodge
  • Cynthia E. Irvine
  • Thuy Nguyen

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Assembly
  • Assembly Languages
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Debugging
  • Device Drivers
  • Directories
  • Environment
  • Hash Tables
  • Kernel Functions
  • Language
  • Operating Systems
  • Personal Computers
  • Scheduling (Production)
  • Software Development
  • Standards

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing.