All about OS Internals

Patch, Service Pack & Build

Patch

• A patch, sometimes or a fix is a piece of programming designed to resolve functionality issues usually called bugs, improve security and add new features within an operating system or software program.
• No software program is perfect and so patches are common, even years after a program has been released.
• Throughout its lifetime, the software will have bugs and a patch is an immediate fix to those problems.
• A collection of usually already-released patches is often called a service pack.

Service Pack

• A service pack is a collection of updates and fixes, called patches, for an operating system or a software program and also include new features in addition to bug fixes.
• Patches are usually smaller in size when compared to service packs, but the service pack allows for an easy, single installation.
• One version of a program or OS can be much different than another on a different computer in certain cases where one remains on an early service pack and another is two or three service packs ahead.

Build

• A build is when the software has reached a point where it is ready to be tested or released to the general public.
• Builds, fix/implement something, and see if it worked, and when it’s up to the mark, the programmers will create a final build for that point.