Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

During the system startup, the Booter is responsible for initializing the operating system’s core components and setting up the environment for the system to run. The Booter is specifically focused on loading the kernel, which is essential for the operating system to function. This process involves preparing the kernel and its extensions, which allows the system to control hardware and manage system resources efficiently.

By initializing kernel extensions, the Booter ensures that the necessary drivers and system functions are available for the operating system to interact properly with the hardware. This is a critical step in the boot process, as it lays the foundation for all other system processes that will occur once the operating system is fully loaded.

Other components, such as firmware, launchd, and the Power On Self Test (POST), have their distinct roles during the startup sequence but occur either before or after the Booter's specific tasks. Firmware is generally initialized first and provides low-level control of the hardware before the operating system begins loading. Launchd is responsible for managing system services after the kernel is operational, while the POST runs before the Booter to check the system's hardware integrity. Each has its purpose, but the primary duty of the Booter is related directly to the kernel and kernel extensions.