Translations:Initramfs/Guide/7/en

Once the Linux kernel has control over the system (which it gets after being loaded by the boot loader), it prepares its memory structures and drivers as well as it can. It then hands over control to an application (usually ) whose task it is to further prepare the system and make sure that, at the end of the boot process, all necessary services are running and the user is able to log on. The  application does that by launching, among other services, the   daemon who will further load up and prepare the system based on the detected devices. When  is launched, all remaining file systems that have not been mounted are mounted, and the remainder of services is started.