What is 'kernel_task' in activity monitor?
Why does it appear many times sometimes and hardly ever others?
Regards Sharkey
Why does it appear many times sometimes and hardly ever others?
Regards Sharkey
Strictly speaking, I think that would be `launchd` ... which is macOS's "init process" in conventional Unix speak.It's the first process that launches
The EFI Firmware starts the kernel, then the kernel starts launchd.Strictly speaking, I think that would be `launchd` ... which is macOS's "init process" in conventional Unix speak.
Unlike all the other processes shown in Activity Monitor, I don't think `kernel_task` is a real process. Apple just chose to present it as a pseudo-process in the CPU tab so they could reuse that existing UI for an easy way to show some kernel statistics.
Nothing to worry about. There shouldn't be more than one instance of it, though!
The power cable is plugged into the wall.The EFI Firmware starts the kernel, then the kernel starts launchd.