why certain apps can freeze the entire OS? If processes alternate each other by scheduler, then why computer freezes? Why it happens? How can a program/app have this “power” to do it? What are the most common reasons? Is there a way to unfreeze it? If I wait a lot, will it eventually unfreeze?

Question

You can answer in technical ways (even though the sub says the opposite) if you want. I should understand it.

In: 3

Answer 1

The first thing that comes to mind would be a massive, self starting loop.

Like the forkbomb. „Copy yourself twice and start these copies“ is how I understand it. Both of these copies get the same command and generate four new copies. Those produce 8, the next generation gives you 16, then 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024… you get the drift. At some point, almost 100% of the capacity will be spent to make new copies of the command. No resources are left for anything else.