Multiboot Specification

The Multiboot Specification is an open standard describing how a boot loader can load an x86 operating system kernel. The specification allows any compliant boot loader implementation to boot any compliant operating system kernel. Thus, it allows different operating systems and boot loaders to work together and interoperate, without the need for operating system–specific boot loaders. As a result, it also allows easier coexistence of different operating systems on a single computer, which is also known as multi-booting.