Segmentation faultIn computing, a segmentation fault (often shortened to segfault) or access violation is a failure condition raised by hardware with memory protection, notifying an operating system (OS) that the software has attempted to access a restricted area of memory (a memory access violation). On standard x86 computers, this is a form of general protection fault.
Operating systemAn operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and other resources.
Virtual address spaceIn computing, a virtual address space (VAS) is an area of contiguous virtual memory locations, called virtual addresses, which an operating system makes available to a process for executing instructions and storing data, and which it maps to the address space of physical addresses in a computer's hardware memory.
Memory management unitA memory management unit (MMU), sometimes called paged memory management unit (PMMU), is a computer hardware unit that examines all references to memory, and translates the memory addresses being referenced, known as virtual memory addresses, into physical addresses in main memory. In modern systems, programs generally have addresses that access the theoretical maximum memory of the computer architecture, 32 or 64 bits.
Kernel (operating system)A kernel is a computer program at the core of a computer's operating system that always has complete control over everything in the system. The kernel is also responsible for preventing and mitigating conflicts between different processes. It is the portion of the operating system that is always resident in memory and facilitates interactions between hardware and software components.
Virtual memoryVirtual memory combines active RAM and inactive memory on DASD to form a large range of contiguous addresses.In computing, virtual memory, or virtual storage, is enabled by a memory management technique that provides an "idealized abstraction of the storage resources that are actually available on a given machine" which "creates the illusion to users of a very large (main) memory".Page (computer memory)A page, memory page, or virtual page is a fixed-length contiguous block of virtual memory, described by a single entry in a page table. It is the smallest unit of data for memory management in an operating system that uses virtual memory. Similarly, a page frame is the smallest fixed-length contiguous block of physical memory into which memory pages are mapped by the operating system.
Process (computing)In computing, a process is the instance of a computer program that is being executed by one or many threads. There are many different process models, some of which are lightweight, but almost all processes (even entire virtual machines) are rooted in an operating system (OS) process which comprises the program code, assigned system resources, physical and logical access permissions, and data structures to initiate, control and coordinate execution activity.Exception handlingIn computing and computer programming, exception handling is the process of responding to the occurrence of exceptions – anomalous or exceptional conditions requiring special processing – during the execution of a program. In general, an exception breaks the normal flow of execution and executes a pre-registered exception handler; the details of how this is done depend on whether it is a hardware or software exception and how the software exception is implemented.
Microsoft WindowsComputer operating systemOperating systemWindows is a proprietaryoperating system developed by Microsoft. Windows is grouped into families that cater to particular sectors of the computing industry – Windows for personal computers, Windows Server for servers, and Windows IoT for embedded systems.
MacOSmacOS (previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a proprietary Unix operating system, derived from OPENSTEP for Mach and FreeBSD, which has been marketed and developed by Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's line of Mac computers. As of April 2026, within the market of desktop and laptop computers, it is the second most widely used desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows and ahead of all Linux distributions, including ChromeOS and SteamOS.
Disk storageDisk storage (also sometimes called drive storage) is a data storage mechanism based on a rotating disk. The recording employs various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical changes to the disk's surface layer. A disk drive is a device implementing such a storage mechanism.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.