What is the difference between a process and a thread (in the context of an operating system)?.

A process and a thread are two fundamental units of execution in an operating system, but they differ in several key aspects:

• Process — an isolated unit that contains its own address space, resources (files, sockets, etc.), and system data. Each process operates independently, and data exchange between processes requires special mechanisms (e.g., inter-process communication).

• Thread — a lighter-weight unit of execution within a process. Threads of the same process share the same address space and resources, allowing them to exchange data efficiently but requiring synchronization to prevent conflicts.

Example: a web browser is a process, and tabs can be implemented as threads within this process for parallel page loading.

Thus, threads enable multiple tasks to run concurrently within a single process, while processes provide isolation and security between different programs.