Getting Started in Linux (Booting).

Booting is a built-in program that loads operating system into the memory. It exists in ROM. In Linux, user are free to configure many aspects of  boot process can also specify the programs launches at boot time. There are following steps of  booting system by Linux for x86 system.

1- The system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) checks the system and launches the first stage boot loader on the MBR (Master Boot Recorder) of the primary hard disk.

2- The first stage boot loader loads itself into memory and launches the second stage boot loader from the /boot/ partition.
                           
3- The second stage boot loader loads the kernel into memory, which in turn loads any necessary modules and mounts the root partition read-only.

4- The kernel transfers control of the boot process to the /sbin/init program.

5- The /sbin/init program loads all services and user-space tools, and mounts all partitions listed in /etc/fstab.

6- The user screen appears for login into a freshly booted system. Just Log in it and enter the password , welcome window will appear after this procedure. 

The booting or the shutting down of the Linux is easy to tackle and also easy to access the problem due to its open nature of  Linux. Many  Linux systems uses lilo, the LInux LOader for booting operating systems.

For more detail visit : http://www.roseindia.net/linux/fedora-core-6/index.shtml