What does it mean when a kernel panics?

[mrsir2009]

What does it mean when a kernel panics? People talk about it all the time, what does it mean?

Thanks!

 

[snaky69]

What does it mean when a kernel panics? People talk about it all the time, what does it mean?

Thanks!

It's the mac equivalent of the blue screen of death on PC's.

 

[r.j.s]

A kernel panic is an action taken by an operating system upon detecting an internal fatal error from which it cannot safely recover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_panic

 

[mrsir2009]

It's the mac equivalent of the blue screen of death on PC's.

Ah, so is it when the screen goes see through grey and it says please restart your mac by holding down the power button... Thanks for the help

 

[old-wiz]

ah...the old days. I just read the wikipedia reference and it brought back when I worked with Multics - instead of kernel panic they had code to deal with issues safely. I doubt there are any Multics systems left unless they are in a museum, where my wife sometimes thinks I belong.