Describe the booting process of a computer.

The booting process of a computer involves several stages:

1. **BIOS/UEFI Initialization:** The computer's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) initializes hardware components such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices. It performs a Power-On Self-Test (POST) to check hardware integrity.

2. **Boot Loader Execution:** The BIOS/UEFI locates and executes the boot loader program stored on the boot device (typically a hard drive or SSD). The boot loader (e.g., GRUB for Linux, NTLDR for Windows) loads the operating system kernel into memory.

3. **Operating System Kernel Initialization:** The operating system kernel is loaded into memory and begins initializing the core components of the operating system, such as process management, memory management, and device drivers.

4. **System Initialization:** Once the kernel is initialized, the operating system starts initializing system services, launching daemons or services needed for system operation, and preparing user interfaces.

5. **User Space Initialization:** Finally, the operating system presents the user with a login screen or desktop environment, allowing users to interact with the system and launch applications.

Each stage ensures that the computer's hardware and software are properly initialized and ready for user interaction.