Understanding How Executable Programs Run and Their Memory Layout
The article explains that an executable file contains machine instructions which the operating system parses (e.g., ELF), loads into RAM by allocating distinct memory regions for code, data, heap, stack and any dynamic libraries, then reads the entry‑point address to set the CPU’s instruction pointer and start execution.
In this article, the author explains what an executable program is: a file containing a sequence of machine instructions.
When a user double‑clicks an icon or runs a command, the operating system locates the file on disk and parses its format (e.g., ELF on Linux) to identify code, data, and other sections.
The OS then loads the program by copying its code and data into RAM, allocating a suitable memory region and dividing it into the code segment, data segment, heap, and stack.
If the program depends on dynamic libraries, the loader places them in the free space between the heap and stack.
Finally, the loader reads the entry‑point address from the executable (as shown by tools such as readelf ) and sets the CPU’s instruction pointer, allowing execution to begin.
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