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I've always considered a "language runtime" to be an active component of a process written in a given language.

Aren't libc etc. passive and effectively just libraries?



No, depending on the compiler it is where the call that calls main() and calls global initialization lives, also where support functions for compiler intrisics might live, also the implementation support for data types not directly supported by the architecture, e.g. floating point emulation.


Interesting, thanks. In the future I'll be sure to use [the term] active runtime (GC, scheduler).




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