Editing Bootloader (section)

==Embedded and multi-stage boot loaders==
{{Anchor|Embedded|MULTI-STAGE}}<!-- Note to future editors: consider breaking this into two sections if the contents expand to more than one paragraph. 

Possible alternate section title?: “Embedded and complex systems” -->

Many [[embedded system]]s must boot immediately. For example, waiting a minute for a [[digital television]] or a [[Satellite navigation device|GPS navigation device]] to start is generally unacceptable. Therefore, such devices have software systems in ROM or [[flash memory]] so the device can begin functioning immediately; little or no loading is necessary, because the loading can be precomputed and stored on the ROM when the device is made.

Large and complex systems may have boot procedures that proceed in multiple phases until finally the operating system and other programs are loaded and ready to execute. Because operating systems are designed as if they never start or stop, a boot loader might load the operating system, configure itself as a mere process within that system, and then irrevocably transfer control to the operating system. The boot loader then terminates normally as any other process would.