eli5 – Why do most softwares require a system reboot after install?
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It often happens in windows, because installers write keys into the windows registry. These keys are read at boot time. Other systems like Linux have a different way of writing configuration. As they use simple text files, it is usually not necessary to reboot.
An application might need to be restarted after an update because it still has the old version in memory (RAM). The same is true for the operating system (Windows, Linux, macOS), but the majority applications and pieces of what is normally thought of as an operating system do not need a system reboot after instal
Most don’t. DLL-hell is past us. Those that do are probably installing third-party copy-protection elements that run as services and drivers.
Older windows programms often used dll and regestry keys which were read at boot time, thus required system restart
Newer win apps often update core drivers to inject various software protection (eg anti piracy software). To make them work system need to be restarted as those sings cannot be modified on hot.
Linux software very rarely requires to restart. Mainly if system core was heavely modified ( minor system core modification generally does not require restart).
Former installer developer here!
TL;DR to prevent data loss
This doesn’t cover all cases but for the most part: Part of the installer puts files in the right folders, another part sets operating system settings, another part sets application settings and then maybe a final part does some custom actions to maybe set up data or user profiles to get ready for use. Sometimes there are updates to shared files or shared settings that need to be changed, that may be in use while you run the install- as a developer you can chose to force the user or OS to temporarily stop the app or system feature while you do the update which is a little dangerous because the installer can’t always tell the state of the program or feature perfectly and could cause data loss. As an alternative- we defer some actions until after reboot and before those apps or features load. This way we can more safely make the changes with lower risk of screwing up you computer. There are other strategies devs can use to get around reboots but installers are blunt tools and it’s very difficult to predict what will be going on on every user’s computer when they click install.
most programs dont have to.
the ones that do , the main reason is because the program either relies on being started at bootup.
or the more common one the program requires that a specific file is modified for it but said file is in use so the OS doesnt allow modification: it will do this changes on the next boot.this is the case for windows when a program needs to write into the Registry or is adding its own version of files to a protected location.
ultimately the only reason is ot ensure stability and prevent Data loss.
When a workstation boots up it reads through the registry which is a huge set of conditions for the system. Think of it like rules for the day, a list of applications, conditions, etc. While most programs will still function without a reboot, some functionality might not be active until after the reboot which causes the computer to empty and reload the registry.
Current operating systems don’t require this nearly as much and you can often get by without the reboot.
Some pieces of software are like changing the radio station while you’re driving. The change doesn’t interrupt the fundamental workings of the computer, so it can keep chugging along without a reboot.
Some pieces of software are like an oil change. They make changes to the basic operating system, so you need to metaphorically stop driving and put it up on a lift for a few minutes to get the work done.
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