process
An instance of a computer program that is being executed by one or many threads.
A process is an active entity in an operating system. It consists of the program code, its current activity (tracked by the program counter), and a set of resources (memory address space, file descriptors, etc.). Processes are isolated from each other by the OS to ensure system stability and security.
graph LR
Center["process"]:::main
Rel_multiprocessing["multiprocessing"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_multiprocessing "/terms/multiprocessing"
Rel_algorithms["algorithms"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_algorithms "/terms/algorithms"
Rel_pipelining["pipelining"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_pipelining "/terms/pipelining"
classDef main fill:#7c3aed,stroke:#8b5cf6,stroke-width:2px,color:white,font-weight:bold,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef pre fill:#0f172a,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef child fill:#0f172a,stroke:#10b981,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef related fill:#0f172a,stroke:#8b5cf6,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
linkStyle default stroke:#4b5563,stroke-width:2px;
🧠 Knowledge Check
🧒 Explain Like I'm 5
A process is like a separate kitchen where a chef is cooking a specific meal. The kitchen has its own ingredients and tools. If one kitchen has a fire, it doesn't immediately affect the other kitchens in the building.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
Processes have their own virtual address space, managed by the MMU (Memory Management Unit). Context switching between processes is expensive due to TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) flushes. IPC (Inter-Process Communication) mechanisms like pipes, sockets, and shared memory are required for processes to interact.