Re: glossary started
- From: skud netizen com au
- To: Alexander Kirillov <kirillov math sunysb edu>
- Cc: gnome-doc-list gnome org
- Subject: Re: glossary started
- Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 04:08:40 +1000
Whew, mammoth session... I got enthused :) I've done a metric buttload
of definitions, as well as adding in a few new terms.
I've attached both my version, and a diff -u between them... I think there
are probably a few small SGML glitches but nothing traumatic.
One thing I'd really recommend is standardising teh capitalisation of
terms to all-lower, unless they are proper nouns or acronyms.
K.
--
Kirrily Robert -- <skud@netizen.com.au> -- http://netizen.com.au/
Internet and Open Source Development, Consulting and Training
Level 13, 500 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9614 0949 Fax +61 3 9614 0948
<!DOCTYPE glossary PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V3.1//EN">
<glossary><title>Glossary</title>
<!-- ===LETTER A=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>A</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="ascii"><glossterm>American Standard Code for
Information Interchange (<acronym>ASCII</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>the standard describing the codes (i.e. sequences of zeros
and ones, or numbers) corresponding to
Latin letters, common punctuation marks, some special symbols
usually found on the keyboard (such as & and $), and some
control symbols, such as the codes used for denoting end of line
and end of file. It only covers codes from 0 to 127 and does not
include accented letters.
</para>
<para> When you see a mention of an "ASCII file" or "ASCII text"
somewhere, it usually means a plain text file which only uses
symbols defined in ASCII standard, with no formatting
information such as fonts to be used.
</para>
<para> ASCII is defined as a standard of American National
Standards Institute
(ANSI); the offical name of the standard is US-ASCII. Coded
Character Set - 7-Bit American Standard Code for Information
Interchange. Standard ANSI X3.4-1986. You can find a
reproduction of it in many places on the Internet, for example,
on <ulink type="http"
url="http://coverage.cnet.com/Resources/Info/Glossary/Terms/ascii2.html">
CNET Web page</ulink>.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="encoding">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="applauncher"><glossterm>Application launcher</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER =================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>B</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="background"><glossterm>Background</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
To make a program run without any visible output; to put a program
which is already running into the background.
</para>
<para>
On the Unix command line, the character <literal>&</literal>
appended to a command will make that command run in the
background.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="foreground">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="binary"><glossterm>Binary</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
An executable program, so called because the file containing the
program consists of machine-readable binary digits, i.e. ones and
zeroes.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="bit"><glossterm>Bit</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>The minimal possible unit of information, 0 or 1. Saying
that the file has length n bits is equivalent to saying that it
can be written as a sequence of n zeros and ones.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="byte"><glossterm>Byte</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>8 <link linkend="bit">bits</link>, i.e. a sequence of 8
zeros and ones. Easy calculation shows that there are 256
possible such sequences, so one can also say that one byte
represents a number ranging from 0 to 255.
</para>
<para> Byte is the basic building block of filesystem: all files
are composed of bytes. For text files, each byte represents
one symbol (see definition of <link
linkend="encoding">encoding</link> for more information).
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER C=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>C</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="cache"><glossterm>Cache</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A short-term storage area in RAM or on the hard disk. Many
programs use caches to store recently-accessed files or other
items.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="clipboard"><glossterm>Clipboard</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The temporary buffer into which text or other data can be copied,
to be used later by pasting into a different location. Most
applications support the clipboard either through X11's native
mouse-based cut and paste functionality, or through specialised
menus and other interfaces.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="clo"><glossterm>Command line options</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
Parameters or arguments given on the Unix command line after a
program name, which tell the program how to run. For instance, in
the command <literal>ls -l</literal> the <literal>-l</literal> is
a command line option telling the <command>ls</command> program to
produce a "long" listing.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="cursor"><glossterm>Cursor</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A highlighted or animated icon which indicates the current
position of the mouse on the screen, or the position where
keyboard input will occur in a text window.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER D=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>D</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="daemon"><glossterm>Daemon</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A background process providing basic system or network services.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="desktop"><glossterm>Desktop</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The visible screen area, on which windows, icons, and other graphical
items may be placed.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="vdesktop">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="device"><glossterm>Device</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A piece of hardware with which the system interacts, such as a
hard disk, modem, or mouse.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="directory"><glossterm>Directory</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A branch within Unix's hierarchical file system; a "folder"
containing files or other directories (called "subdirectories").
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="filesystem">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER E=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>E</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="encoding"><glossterm>Encoding</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="envar"><glossterm>Environment variable</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>a global "setting", or configuration parameter, which is
available to all applications. Each environment variable has a
name and a value (which usually is a string of symbols or an
integer number). Any application you run can access any of the
environment variables. For example, there is a standard
environment variable <envar>HOME</envar>, whose value is the
user's home directory (for example,
<filename>/home/joe</filename>), and any application which wants
to create a file in your home directory uses this variable to
find out what your home directory is.
</para>
<para> To view all currenlty defined environment variables, use
the command <command>printenv</command> (provided that you have
GNU shell utils package installed). To modify a value of
environment variable, use the command
<command>export
<replaceable>NAME</replaceable>= <replaceable>VALUE</replaceable>;
</command> if you are using bash <link
linkend="shell">shell</link> or <command>setenv
<replaceable>NAME VALUE</replaceable>;</command> if you are
using csh or tcsh <link
linkend="shell">shell</link>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="ethernet"><glossterm>Ethernet</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A protocol for network communication, developed in the 1980s and
commonly used for Local Area Networks (LANs) and other network
communication.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER F=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>F</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="file"><glossterm>File</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="filesystem">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="filesystem"><glossterm>Filesystem</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="file">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="foreground"><glossterm>Foreground</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
To run a program so that its output is visible to the user, or to
bring a previously "backgrounded" program to the foreground.
Programs running in the foreground can display output and receive
input from the user.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="background">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="ftp">
<glossterm>File Transfer Protocol (<acronym>FTP</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="internet">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="freesoftware"><glossterm>Free software</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="opensource" otherterm="gpl">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER G=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>G</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="gnu"><glossterm><acronym>GNU</acronym></glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
GNU's Not Unix; a project to develop Unix-like tools under a free
software license.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="gpl"><glossterm>GNU General Public License
(<acronym>GPL</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>a software license developed by the Free Software
Foundation. As stated in the preamble, goal of this license is
to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software. In
short, it allows anyone to use, copy, distribute, or sell the
software, in original or modified form, as long as you
distribute the program's source code along with the binaries,
and you distribute them again under the GPL. A copy of the GPL
is included as an appendix to GNOME User's guide. You can also
view GPL on-line on <ulink type="http"
url="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl">FSF's Web page</ulink>.
</para>
<para> GPL plays an extremely important role in the free
spftware movement; almost all of GNU project software, as well
as <link linkend="linux">Linux</link> kernel, is distributed
under GPL. For a detailed discussion of history, ideas and
philosophy related to GPL and free sofware in general, visit
<ulink type="http" url="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy">FSF's Web
page</ulink>.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="freesoftware" otherterm="opensource">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="gtk">
<glossterm>GIMP Toolkit (<acronym>GTK</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER H=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>H</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="html">
<glossterm>Hypertext Markup Language (<acronym>HTML</acronym>)
</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>the language in which all the Web pages in the world are
written. HTML can also be used for e-mails, which allows having
nicely formatted e-mails, possibly including images and links.
</para>
<para> More information about HTML can be found on the Web page
of <ulink type="http" url="http://www.w3c.org">World Wide Web
Consortium</ulink>, which is the official maintainer of HTML
standard.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="http"><glossterm><acronym>HTTP</acronym></glossterm>
<acronym>HTTP</acronym>
<glossdef>
<para>
Hypertext Transfer Protocol; the protocol by which web pages and
other web-accessible resources are delivered, defined in RFC 1945
(HTTP 1.0) and RFC 2068 (HTTP 1.1)
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER I=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>I</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="icon"><glossterm>Icon</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A small picture used within a graphical user interface to indicate
a program, file, or other part of a computer system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="internet"><glossterm>Internet</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The worldwide network of computers accessible via TCP/IP
networking. The Internet encompasses such services as <link
linkend="email">electronic mail</link>, the <link linkend="www">
World Wide Web</link>, and numerous communications, file transfer,
and other applications.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER J=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>J</title>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER K=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>K</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="kernel"><glossterm>Kernel</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>the core component of an operating system, responsible for
basic operations such as accessing the files, input/output,
managing the processor and memory resources, etc. All other
tools, utilities, and applications use the kernel.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER L=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>L</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="linux"><glossterm>Linux</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>A free (as in <link linkend="gpl">GNU GPL</link>) <link
linkend="unix">UNIX-like</link> operating system, written in
collaboration by hundreds of developers all around the world,
most of them volunteers. One of the most successful and famous
free software projects.
</para>
<para>Strictly speaking, the name "Linux" only applies to the
<link linkend="kernel">kernel</link> of the operating
system. Most of other tools and utilities necessary for system
functioning came from <link linkend="gnu">GNU project</link>, so
the operating system should be properly called GNU/Linux;
however, for convenience reasons most people use the name Linux
for the whole operating system.
</para>
<para>There is a tremendous amount of information about Linux
available on the Internet; good starting points are <ulink
type="http"
url="http://www.linux.com">www.linux.com</ulink>,
<ulink type="http"
url="http://www.linux.org">www.linux.org</ulink>. There is
also a number of good books about Linux available in bookstores;
if you have a Linux system, you probably also have a lot of Linux
documentaion installed on your system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="login"><glossterm>login</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
the process by which a user authenticates herself to a computer
system, usually by typing in a username and password.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="user">
<glossseealso otherterm="username">
<glossseealso otherterm="password">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER M=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>M</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="manpage"><glossterm>Manual page (manpage)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A documentation resource commonly provided with Unix programs.
Manual pages typically contain concise technical listings of
available <link linkend="clo">command line
options</link> and other settings which affect the running of the
program.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="menu"><glossterm>Menu</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A list of possible actions or options available within a program.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="mime"><glossterm>MIME</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="mount"><glossterm>Mount</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
To make a <link linkend="device">device</link> accessible via the
Unix <link linkend="file system">file system</link>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="mountpoint"><glossterm>Mount point</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The directory on which a <link linkend="device">device</link> is
mounted. For instance, a CD-ROM disk may be mounted on the
directory <filename>/mnt/cdrom</filename>. That directory would
be referred to as the mount point.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="mount">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="mousecursor"><glossterm>Mouse cursor</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
An animated icon used to indicate the position of the mouse on the
<link linkend="desktop">desktop</link>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER N=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>N</title>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER O=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>O</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="opensource"><glossterm>Open Source</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER P=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>P</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="partition"><glossterm>Partition</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="device">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="password"><glossterm>Password</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A string of typable characters (letters, numbers, punctuation
marks, et cetera) used to authenticate a user's identity.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="pid">
<glossterm>Process ID (<acronym>PID</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
The ID number by which the system identifies individual processes.
The first process to run on the system has PID 0.
</glossdef>
<glosssee otherterm="process">
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="pixel"><glossterm>Pixel</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A single element, or "dot", on the computer's screen. A pixel's
colour is made up of a mixture of red, green and blue light. Screen
resolution is measured in pixels.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="resolution">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="pointer"><glossterm>Pointer</glossterm>
<glosssee otherterm="mousecursor">
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="ppp">
<glossterm>Point-to-point protocol (<acronym>PPP</acronym>) </glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A protocol allowing a computer to connect to a TCP/IP network via
a modem. A PPP connection allows an ordinary home computer
connected to a telephone line to become a part of the <link
linkend="internet">Internet</link>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="postscript"><glossterm>Postscript</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>a language for desribing printed pages. Can be used to
describe both graphics and text, black and white or color
— in short, anything that can be printed. Postscript is
the de-facto standard for quality printing; all good laser
printers have built-in Postscript capabilities, and almost all
printing in UNIX is done by converting the data to be printed to
Postscript before sending it to printer. If your printer does not
have built-in Postscript capabilities, then your system is
probably configured to convert Postscript to something you
printer can print.
</para>
<para> Postscript files can also be saved to disk; they usually
have extension <filename>.ps</filename>. There is a number of
utilities for viewing Postscript files, such as
<application>gv</application> or
<application>ggv</application>. However, editing Postscript
files is virtually impossible: this is output only format.
</para>
<para> Postscript was developed by <ulink type="http"
url="http://www.adobe.com">Adobe Corporation</ulink>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="process"><glossterm>Process</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para> a task run by the operating system. UNIX is a
multitasking sytem, so at any given moment there are many
processes running. Usually, each command or application you
start is run as a new process; some applications may run several
processes. In addition, there is also a number of system
processes which run in the background to ensure proper
functioning of the system.
</para>
<para>Each process has a unique ID number
(<acronym>PID</acronym>). You can view the list of all the
processes running on your system using <application>GNOME System
monitor (gtop)</application> or
<application>Ktop</application>. See the documentation for these
applications for more information.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER Q=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>Q</title>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER R=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>R</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="resolution"><glossterm>Resolution</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A measurement indicating the height and width of the visible
screen of a computer in <link linkend="pixel">pixel</link> pixels.
Typical resolutions include 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="rootdir"><glossterm>Root directory</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The directory of a Unix file system from which all other directories
and files are branches.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="filesystem">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="rootuser"><glossterm>Root (user)</glossterm>
<glosssee otherterm="sysadmin">
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="rootwindow"><glossterm>Root window</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The background of an X11 desktop, in which background images
("wallpaper") or running programs may be displayed.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="rpm">
<glossterm><acronym>RPM</acronym> package</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>a file containing in it in a packed form all the files
comprising an application (executable files, documentation,
configuration, etc.), plus some extra information about the
application, such as a brief description and dependency
information. The RPM format makes installing, un-installing,
upgrading, and keeping track of the applications installed on
your system very easy. There is a number of tools available for
working with RPM packages, such as
<application>gnorpm</application> or
<application>Kpackage</application>. For those who prefer the
command line, there is also the <command>rpm</command> command.
See the documentation for these utilities or <ulink type="http"
url="http://www.rpm.org">RPM's Web page</ulink> for more information.
</para>
<para>
RPM format was developed by Red Hat, Inc.; the acronym RPM
stands for Red Hat Package Manager.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER S=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>S</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="screen"><glossterm>Screen</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The physical monitor device of a computer, consisting of a cathode
ray tube, liquid crystal display, or similar means of displaying
<link linkend="pixel">pixels</link>; the visible picture displayed
on the monitor.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="screensaver"><glossterm>Screensaver</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A program which blanks the screen or displays pretty or entertaining
graphics after a period of inactivity on the console. Originally
intended to prevent "burn-in" of images on older cathode-ray
tubes, screensavers are now used primarily for entertainment
purposes or to lock an unused terminal, requiring the user to
enter a <link
linkend="password">password</link> to return to the normal
display.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="script"><glossterm>Script</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
a program written in an interpreted language, i.e. a language
where the commands are executed one by one as you enter
them (as opposed to compiled languages, in which the whole
program must first be translated into machine codes (compiled) to
create an executable file). By far the most common type of
scripts are shell scripts, which are simply sequences of
shell commands. Other popular types of scripts are javascripts
used in Web pages and Tcl/Tk scripts.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="shell">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="scsi"><glossterm><acronym>SCSI</acronym></glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="shell"><glossterm>Shell</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
Any of a number of Unix programs which interpret commands typed by
the user and provide other features such as command history,
aliasing, and scripting. Examples include <command>bash</command>
and <command>tcsh</command>. Shells are often displayed in a
<link linkend="terminal">terminal</link> window.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="symlink"><glossterm>Symbolic link (symlink)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A node in the file system which points to another node; equivalent
to a "shortcut" under Windows.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="sysadmin"><glossterm>System administrator</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The person responsible for administration and maintenance of a
computer system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER T=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>T</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="tarball"><glossterm>Tar archive (tarball)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A file created using the <command>tar</command> (Tape ARchive)
program, which conglomerates multiple files, or even a whole
directory tree, into one file for easy storage or transfer. These
archives are often compressed using the <command>gzip</command>
program and given a filename extension of
<filename>.tar.gz</filename>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="telnet"><glossterm>Telnet</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="terminal"><glossterm>Terminal</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="theme"><glossterm>Theme</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
An integrated collection of graphical elements intended to give
the desktop a certain look and feel. Common theme components
include matching backgrounds, icons, and window decorations.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER U=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>U</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="unix"><glossterm>Unix</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
An operating system originally developed at Bell Labs in the early
1970s by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie; any of a large number of
operating systems sharing many features with the original Unix
operating system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="user"><glossterm>User</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
An actual person who uses a computer system, identified by a
unique <link linkend="username">username</link>, or a virtual person
or "role" similarly identified by a unique username. Virtual
users may be used to run <link linkend="daemon">daemons</link> or
other software.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="username"><glossterm>Username</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A string of alphanumeric characters uniquely identifying a <link
linkend="user">user</link> of a computer system. Most usernames
are based on the user's real name, so Mary Smith might have the
username "mary" or "msmith".
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="url">
<glossterm>Uniform Resource Locator (<acronym>URL</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>an "address", or "location", of a document accessible via
the Internet. Most common
URL types are a Web address (such as http://www.gnome.org),
a file on a FTP server (e.g., ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub), or a
file on your own local system (e.g., file:/usr/doc/). Formal
definition of URL (which is a subset of more general notion,
Uinform Resource Identifier (URI)) is given in <ulink
type="http"
url="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt">RFC2396</ulink>,
(beware: as any formal deinition, this one is way too
technical for greater majority of users).
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER V=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>V</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="vdesktop"><glossterm>Virtual desktop</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="workspace">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER W=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>W</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="widget"><glossterm>Widget</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A single element of a graphical user interface, such as a button,
scrollbar, or text input area.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="window"><glossterm>Window</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
The interface element used to display most applications under a
windowing GUI such as X11. Windows typically consist of a main
area in which typing or other work occurs, a title bar (which may
contain buttons to minimise, maximise or close the window),
window-specific menus, and a scroll bar down either side of the
window if required.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="wmanager"><glossterm>Window manager</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
A program which provides a layer of abstraction between <link
linkend="x11">X11</link> and the <link linkend="user">user</link>.
Window managers typically provide most of the user-friendly
<link linkend="widget">widgets</link> people expect from a
windowing system, such as menus, icons, ways of moving and manipulating windows, and so on.
Examples of window managers include <command>sawfish</command> and
<command>windowmaker</command>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="workspace"><glossterm>Workspace</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="vdesktop">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="www">
<glossterm>World Wide Web (<acronym>WWW</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="html">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER X=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>X</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="xwin"><glossterm>X Window System</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="x11"><glossterm>X11</glossterm>
<glosssee otherterm="xwin">
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="xfree"><glossterm>XFree86</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="xserver"><glossterm>X server</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER Y=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>Y</title>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER Z=================================== -->
<glossdiv><title>Z</title>
</glossdiv>
<!-- ===LETTER =================================== -->
<glossdiv><title></title>
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id=""><glossterm></glossterm>
<acronym></acronym>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
</glossdiv>
</glossary>
--- glossary.sgml Thu Jun 8 03:45:23 2000
+++ glossary-skud.sgml Thu Jun 8 03:52:19 2000
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@
<glossentry id="background"><glossterm>Background</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ To make a program run without any visible output; to put a program
+ which is already running into the background.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ On the Unix command line, the character <literal>&</literal>
+ appended to a command will make that command run in the
+ background.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="foreground">
</glossdef>
@@ -62,6 +69,9 @@
<glossentry id="binary"><glossterm>Binary</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ An executable program, so called because the file containing the
+ program consists of machine-readable binary digits, i.e. ones and
+ zeroes.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -106,6 +116,9 @@
<glossentry id="cache"><glossterm>Cache</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A short-term storage area in RAM or on the hard disk. Many
+ programs use caches to store recently-accessed files or other
+ items.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -116,6 +129,11 @@
<glossentry id="clipboard"><glossterm>Clipboard</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The temporary buffer into which text or other data can be copied,
+ to be used later by pasting into a different location. Most
+ applications support the clipboard either through X11's native
+ mouse-based cut and paste functionality, or through specialised
+ menus and other interfaces.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -124,6 +142,11 @@
<glossentry id="clo"><glossterm>Command line options</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ Parameters or arguments given on the Unix command line after a
+ program name, which tell the program how to run. For instance, in
+ the command <literal>ls -l</literal> the <literal>-l</literal> is
+ a command line option telling the <command>ls</command> program to
+ produce a "long" listing.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -132,6 +155,9 @@
<glossentry id="cursor"><glossterm>Cursor</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A highlighted or animated icon which indicates the current
+ position of the mouse on the screen, or the position where
+ keyboard input will occur in a text window.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -147,6 +173,7 @@
<glossentry id="daemon"><glossterm>Daemon</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A background process providing basic system or network services.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -155,6 +182,8 @@
<glossentry id="desktop"><glossterm>Desktop</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The visible screen area, on which windows, icons, and other graphical
+ items may be placed.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="vdesktop">
</glossdef>
@@ -164,6 +193,8 @@
<glossentry id="device"><glossterm>Device</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A piece of hardware with which the system interacts, such as a
+ hard disk, modem, or mouse.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -172,6 +203,8 @@
<glossentry id="directory"><glossterm>Directory</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A branch within Unix's hierarchical file system; a "folder"
+ containing files or other directories (called "subdirectories").
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="filesystem">
</glossdef>
@@ -226,6 +259,9 @@
<glossentry id="ethernet"><glossterm>Ethernet</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A protocol for network communication, developed in the 1980s and
+ commonly used for Local Area Networks (LANs) and other network
+ communication.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -261,6 +297,10 @@
<glossentry id="foreground"><glossterm>Foreground</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ To run a program so that its output is visible to the user, or to
+ bring a previously "backgrounded" program to the foreground.
+ Programs running in the foreground can display output and receive
+ input from the user.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="background">
</glossdef>
@@ -298,6 +338,8 @@
<glossentry id="gnu"><glossterm><acronym>GNU</acronym></glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ GNU's Not Unix; a project to develop Unix-like tools under a free
+ software license.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -368,6 +410,9 @@
<acronym>HTTP</acronym>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ Hypertext Transfer Protocol; the protocol by which web pages and
+ other web-accessible resources are delivered, defined in RFC 1945
+ (HTTP 1.0) and RFC 2068 (HTTP 1.1)
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -380,20 +425,24 @@
<glossdiv><title>I</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
+ <glossentry id="icon"><glossterm>Icon</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ <para>
+ A small picture used within a graphical user interface to indicate
+ a program, file, or other part of a computer system.
+ </para>
+ </glossdef>
+ </glossentry>
+
+<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="internet"><glossterm>Internet</glossterm>
<glossdef>
- <para>unless you spent the last 20 years on a deserted island,
- you probably know what Internet is. But just in case: Internet
- is the network of millions of computers all around the world,
- connected to each other by some hardware means (cables, wires,
- phone lines, communication satellites) and communicating with
- each other using some standard protocols. Internet makes it
- possible for users of these computers to send and receive
- <link linkend="email">electronic mail</link>, browse the <link
- linkend="www">World Wide Web</link>, exchange files (using <link
- linkend="ftp"> protocol</link>), remotely login into your
- computer from other places (using <link
- linkend="telnet">telnet</link>), and more.
+ <para>
+ The worldwide network of computers accessible via TCP/IP
+ networking. The Internet encompasses such services as <link
+ linkend="email">electronic mail</link>, the <link linkend="www">
+ World Wide Web</link>, and numerous communications, file transfer,
+ and other applications.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -463,8 +512,12 @@
<glossentry id="login"><glossterm>login</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ the process by which a user authenticates herself to a computer
+ system, usually by typing in a username and password.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="user">
+ <glossseealso otherterm="username">
+ <glossseealso otherterm="password">
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -479,13 +532,27 @@
<glossentry id="manpage"><glossterm>Manual page (manpage)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A documentation resource commonly provided with Unix programs.
+ Manual pages typically contain concise technical listings of
+ available <link linkend="clo">command line
+ options</link> and other settings which affect the running of the
+ program.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
- <glossentry id="mime"><glossterm>MIME type</glossterm>
+ <glossentry id="menu"><glossterm>Menu</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ <para>
+ A list of possible actions or options available within a program.
+ </para>
+ </glossdef>
+ </glossentry>
+
+<!-- ==================== -->
+ <glossentry id="mime"><glossterm>MIME</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
</para>
@@ -496,6 +563,8 @@
<glossentry id="mount"><glossterm>Mount</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ To make a <link linkend="device">device</link> accessible via the
+ Unix <link linkend="file system">file system</link>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -506,6 +575,10 @@
<glossentry id="mountpoint"><glossterm>Mount point</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The directory on which a <link linkend="device">device</link> is
+ mounted. For instance, a CD-ROM disk may be mounted on the
+ directory <filename>/mnt/cdrom</filename>. That directory would
+ be referred to as the mount point.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="mount">
</glossdef>
@@ -515,6 +588,8 @@
<glossentry id="mousecursor"><glossterm>Mouse cursor</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ An animated icon used to indicate the position of the mouse on the
+ <link linkend="desktop">desktop</link>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -563,6 +638,8 @@
<glossentry id="password"><glossterm>Password</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A string of typable characters (letters, numbers, punctuation
+ marks, et cetera) used to authenticate a user's identity.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -570,6 +647,10 @@
<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="pid">
<glossterm>Process ID (<acronym>PID</acronym>)</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ The ID number by which the system identifies individual processes.
+ The first process to run on the system has PID 0.
+ </glossdef>
<glosssee otherterm="process">
</glossentry>
@@ -579,6 +660,9 @@
<glossentry id="pixel"><glossterm>Pixel</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A single element, or "dot", on the computer's screen. A pixel's
+ colour is made up of a mixture of red, green and blue light. Screen
+ resolution is measured in pixels.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="resolution">
</glossdef>
@@ -594,6 +678,10 @@
<glossterm>Point-to-point protocol (<acronym>PPP</acronym>) </glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A protocol allowing a computer to connect to a TCP/IP network via
+ a modem. A PPP connection allows an ordinary home computer
+ connected to a telephone line to become a part of the <link
+ linkend="internet">Internet</link>
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -664,6 +752,9 @@
<glossentry id="resolution"><glossterm>Resolution</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A measurement indicating the height and width of the visible
+ screen of a computer in <link linkend="pixel">pixel</link> pixels.
+ Typical resolutions include 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -672,6 +763,8 @@
<glossentry id="rootdir"><glossterm>Root directory</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The directory of a Unix file system from which all other directories
+ and files are branches.
</para>
<glossseealso otherterm="filesystem">
</glossdef>
@@ -686,6 +779,8 @@
<glossentry id="rootwindow"><glossterm>Root window</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The background of an X11 desktop, in which background images
+ ("wallpaper") or running programs may be displayed.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -725,6 +820,10 @@
<glossentry id="screen"><glossterm>Screen</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The physical monitor device of a computer, consisting of a cathode
+ ray tube, liquid crystal display, or similar means of displaying
+ <link linkend="pixel">pixels</link>; the visible picture displayed
+ on the monitor.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -733,6 +832,14 @@
<glossentry id="screensaver"><glossterm>Screensaver</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A program which blanks the screen or displays pretty or entertaining
+ graphics after a period of inactivity on the console. Originally
+ intended to prevent "burn-in" of images on older cathode-ray
+ tubes, screensavers are now used primarily for entertainment
+ purposes or to lock an unused terminal, requiring the user to
+ enter a <link
+ linkend="password">password</link> to return to the normal
+ display.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -769,6 +876,11 @@
<glossentry id="shell"><glossterm>Shell</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ Any of a number of Unix programs which interpret commands typed by
+ the user and provide other features such as command history,
+ aliasing, and scripting. Examples include <command>bash</command>
+ and <command>tcsh</command>. Shells are often displayed in a
+ <link linkend="terminal">terminal</link> window.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -779,6 +891,8 @@
<glossentry id="symlink"><glossterm>Symbolic link (symlink)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A node in the file system which points to another node; equivalent
+ to a "shortcut" under Windows.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -787,6 +901,8 @@
<glossentry id="sysadmin"><glossterm>System administrator</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The person responsible for administration and maintenance of a
+ computer system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -802,6 +918,12 @@
<glossentry id="tarball"><glossterm>Tar archive (tarball)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A file created using the <command>tar</command> (Tape ARchive)
+ program, which conglomerates multiple files, or even a whole
+ directory tree, into one file for easy storage or transfer. These
+ archives are often compressed using the <command>gzip</command>
+ program and given a filename extension of
+ <filename>.tar.gz</filename>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -815,9 +937,19 @@
</glossentry>
<!-- ==================== -->
+ <glossentry id="terminal"><glossterm>Terminal</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ <para>
+ </para>
+ </glossdef>
+ </glossentry>
+<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="theme"><glossterm>Theme</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ An integrated collection of graphical elements intended to give
+ the desktop a certain look and feel. Common theme components
+ include matching backgrounds, icons, and window decorations.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -834,6 +966,10 @@
<glossentry id="unix"><glossterm>Unix</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ An operating system originally developed at Bell Labs in the early
+ 1970s by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie; any of a large number of
+ operating systems sharing many features with the original Unix
+ operating system.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -844,6 +980,23 @@
<glossentry id="user"><glossterm>User</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ An actual person who uses a computer system, identified by a
+ unique <link linkend="username">username</link>, or a virtual person
+ or "role" similarly identified by a unique username. Virtual
+ users may be used to run <link linkend="daemon">daemons</link> or
+ other software.
+ </para>
+ </glossdef>
+ </glossentry>
+
+<!-- ==================== -->
+ <glossentry id="username"><glossterm>Username</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ <para>
+ A string of alphanumeric characters uniquely identifying a <link
+ linkend="user">user</link> of a computer system. Most usernames
+ are based on the user's real name, so Mary Smith might have the
+ username "mary" or "msmith".
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -852,7 +1005,8 @@
<glossentry id="url">
<glossterm>Uniform Resource Locator (<acronym>URL</acronym>)</glossterm>
<glossdef>
- <para>an "address", or "location", of a document. Most common
+ <para>an "address", or "location", of a document accessible via
+ the Internet. Most common
URL types are a Web address (such as http://www.gnome.org),
a file on a FTP server (e.g., ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub), or a
file on your own local system (e.g., file:/usr/doc/). Formal
@@ -890,9 +1044,25 @@
<glossdiv><title>W</title>
<!-- ==================== -->
+ <glossentry id="widget"><glossterm>Widget</glossterm>
+ <glossdef>
+ <para>
+ A single element of a graphical user interface, such as a button,
+ scrollbar, or text input area.
+ </para>
+ </glossdef>
+ </glossentry>
+
+<!-- ==================== -->
<glossentry id="window"><glossterm>Window</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ The interface element used to display most applications under a
+ windowing GUI such as X11. Windows typically consist of a main
+ area in which typing or other work occurs, a title bar (which may
+ contain buttons to minimise, maximise or close the window),
+ window-specific menus, and a scroll bar down either side of the
+ window if required.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
@@ -901,6 +1071,13 @@
<glossentry id="wmanager"><glossterm>Window manager</glossterm>
<glossdef>
<para>
+ A program which provides a layer of abstraction between <link
+ linkend="x11">X11</link> and the <link linkend="user">user</link>.
+ Window managers typically provide most of the user-friendly
+ <link linkend="widget">widgets</link> people expect from a
+ windowing system, such as menus, icons, ways of moving and manipulating windows, and so on.
+ Examples of window managers include <command>sawfish</command> and
+ <command>windowmaker</command>.
</para>
</glossdef>
</glossentry>
[
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