Processes vs Threads

Address spaces, the PCB, fork() & copy-on-write, why threads share the heap but not the stack, and the cost of a context switch

1 / 18

steps

Act 1 of 8·Program vs Process

step 1

Speednormal

First, a distinction people blur constantly. A program is a passive thing: a file of machine code sitting on disk (a.out, your .exe). It does nothing on its own — it is just bytes. Running it is a separate event entirely.

Shared vs private

Code / Datathreads: shared

Heapthreads: shared

Stackper-thread

Address spaceper-process

fork()copy-on-write

Switch costproc > thread

Active Recall

Question 1 / 3

Two threads in the same process — what do they share, and what stays private?

Under the Hood

Loading visualizer…

DNSresolving host

TCPconnecting

TLShandshake

HTTPrequesting

DSAverse

Processes vs Threads

Processes vs Threads