Lexicon Entry
Process
An execution container managed by the operating system kernel that provides a program with a private virtual address space, security context, open file handles, and one or more execution threads.
Related Knowledge & Cross-References
Guide
macOS Execution: Mach Tasks vs. BSD Processes
A deep dive into the Darwin/XNU kernel. We explore the architectural divide between Mach Tasks and Threads, and how standard BSD POSIX APIs like fork() are illusions layered over Mach primitives.
Guide
The Anatomy of Execution: Processes, Threads, and Memory Isolation
A conceptual deep dive into what it means for code to execute. We explore the fundamental differences between a process (a resource container) and a thread (an execution unit), and how the OS isolates them.