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Linux Forums - Linux terms Category: Electronics and Engineering Date & country: 09/08/2014, USA Words: 127

X window
system is a cross platform windows system. This just means it works on more than one Operating System like Unix and Linux. Also see XFree86.

X
This is just a short version for X Windowing System. See X Windowing System for details.

M$
is a slang term for Microsoft and it percieved drive for more of our money.

T-1
This digital line carries 24 pulse code modulation (PCM) signals using time-division multiplexing (TDM) at an overall rate of 1.544 million bits per second (Mbps). T1 lines use copper wire and span distances within and between major metropolitan areas. A fractional T-1 is the use of some portion of the 24 channels in a T-1 line, with the other chan...

T-3
line, providing 44.736 Mbps, is also commonly used by Internet service providers

Yast
same funciton and purpose as linuxconf. See linuxconf for more information.

Worm
is programming code designed to copy itself repeatedly to memory, on the local drive and to any network drives or shares. Sometimes until little memory or disk space left to operate or perform a function like copy you email address book/files/etc... and send it out to the internet or another computer.

xf86config
Configuration file for setup of video card, monitor and video mode linux should run in.

XFree86
Window System implementation provides us the X server, but also includes an extensive suite of utilities and applications to help implement a fully functional GUI environment.

Winmodem
see controllerless modem

Whois
is a program that will tell you the owner of any second-level domain name who has registered it with Verisign (or with Network Solutions, which was acquired by Verisign).

Wine
is a Windows compatibility layer. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely alternative implementation consisting of 100% Microsoft-free code, but it can optionally use native system DLLs if they are available. This is what you would use if you wanted to run a windows program on a linux machine.

WineX
is the equivilant of wine except it main strength is the ability to play games designed for Windows.

VI
a popular text editor from the command line only

VRAM
Video RAM means all forms of random access memory (RAM) used to store image data (pictures or graphics) for a computer display/monitor.

USB
Universal Serial Bus is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and other devices such as audio players, joysticks, keyboards, telephones, scanners, and printers. With USB, a new device can be added to your computer without having to add an adapter card or even having to turn the computer off.

URL
Uniform Resource Locator is the address of a file (resource) accessible on the Internet.

UDP
User Datagram Protocol is a communications protocol that offers a limited amount of service when messages are exchanged between computers in a network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP). UDP is an alternative to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Unix
is an operating system that originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system. Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie are considered the inventors of Unix. In 1974, Unix became the first operating system written in the C language and open source.

Trojans
is a program that appears to serve a usefull function but carries a virus or worm that infects you computer. These usually come from downloading software from the Internet usually from companies you never heard of before.

TXT
Short for text which is made of ascii code. Text you can read.

Telnet
is a user command and an underlying TCP/IP protocol for accessing remote computers. You would use it at the cmd line and looks like goog old DOS. Telnet transmits information in cleartext.

Terabyte
is is a measure of computer storage capacity and is 2 to the 40th power or approximately a thousand billion bytes (that is, a thousand gigabytes). We are a long way in PC's from seeing anything like this but it does currently exist in some supercomputers.

Tarball
is a jargon term for a tar archive - a group of files collected together as one.

TCP
Transmission Control Protocol is a set of rules (protocol) used along with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet.

TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network (either an intranet or an extranet).

Syntax
is the grammar, structure, or order of the elements in a language. This is just our natural human written language.

Switch
is a device that directs incoming data from any input ports to the specific output port that will take the data toward its intended computer or device.

Superuser
see root

Swap
or swap file is a space on a hard disk used as the virtual memory extension of a computer's real memory (RAM). Having a swap file allows your computer's operating system to pretend that you have more RAM than you actually do.

Script
is a program or sequence of instructions that is interpreted or carried out by another program rather than by the computer processor itself directly.

Source
is the blueprint for a program that makes it work, also known as the code.

SPAM
Unsolicited email. Currently it is estimated that world wide over 50% of all email is SPAM.

Spyware
another term for Adware.

SSH
Secure Shell also known as Secure Socket Shell, is a Unix/Linux cmd line interface and protocol for securely getting access to a remote computer. It is widely used by network administrators to control Web and other kinds of servers remotely.

Router
simply directs the traffic on a network from one path to another. It basically like a cop/bobbie directing traffic.

RPM
Is for Redhat Package Manager. RPM's can contain applications, updates, and fixes for Redhat's Linux as well as others.

RPM
Redhat Package Management - a way of easily distributing & installing software

Samba
A sharing service for linux that allows both Linux and Windows machines to share files with each other.

Qmail
is one of the more popular email servers also called a SMTP server

RAM
random access memory is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor or CPU.

RJ-45
is a single-line jack for digital transmission over ordinary phone wire, either untwisted or twisted. The interface has eight pins or positions. For connecting a modem, printer, or a data PBX at a data rate up to 19.2 Kbps, you can use untwisted wire. For faster transmissions for computers using Ethernet, you need to use twisted pair wire. (Untwist...

Pine
is a program for Internet News & Email - is a tool for reading, sending, and managing electronic messages.

PL
file extension for a perl script.

POP3
Post Office Protocol 3 is the most recent version of a standard protocol for receiving e-mail. POP3 is a client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server.

Python
is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language similar to Perl, that has gained popularity because of its clear syntax and readability.

PHP
is a script language and interpreter that is freely available and used primarily on Linux Web servers.

Perl
is a script programming language that is similar in syntax to the C language.

Permissions
Windows NTFS permissions apply to specific users and groups. NTFS permissions apply to files/directories and allow or deny access to each file/directory along with what they can and cannot do with each one.

PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect is an connection between a microprocessor and attached devices where expansion slots are spaced closely for high speed operation. PCI transmits 32 bits at a time in a 124-pin connection (the extra pins are for power supply and grounding) and 64 bits in a 188-pin connection in an expanded use. PCI is designed to be ...

Package
(aka software package) can be as simple as a file to correct a softwar bug in your software ( such as a rpm or other file) or as in depth a create a ISO for a operating system like Linux.

NTFS
Nes Technology File System. Developed by Microsoft and there are two variations, NTFS and NTFS5. Both are considered a stable and when properly configured a secure file system.

Mozilla
was Netscape Communication's nickname for Navigator, its Web browser, and, more recently, the name of an open source public collaboration aimed at making improvements to Navigator.

MS
(milliseconds not M$). MS (ms or msec) is one thousandth of a second and is commonly used in measuring the time to read to or write from a hard disk or a CD-ROM player or to measure packet travel time on the Internet.

NFS
Network File System, is a protocol suite developed and licensed by Sun Microsystems that allows different makes of computers running different operating systems to share files and disk storage.

Megabyte
a measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory, a megabyte (abbreviated MB) is 2 to the 20th power bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes in decimal notation. Or just over 1000 Kilobytes.

Module
is the concept that similar functions should be contained within the same unit of programming code and that separate functions should be developed as separate units of code so that the code can easily be maintained and reused by different programs.

Mount
is to make a group of files in a file system structure accessible to a user or user group.

MAN
metropolitan area network is a network that connects users with computer resources in a geographic area larger than that covered by a local area network but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network. The term is applied to the interconnection of networks in a city into a single larger network (which may then also offer efficient connecti...

MBR
Master Boot Record is the information in the first sector of any hard disk or diskette that identifies how and where an operating system is located so that it can be boot (loaded) into the computer's main storage or random access memory.

Linuxconf
is a sophisticated administration system for the Linux operating system like Yast used in SuSE Linux.

LISA
(Lisp-based Intelligent Software Agents) is a production-rule system heavily influenced by JESS (Java Expert System Shell). It has at its core a reasoning (artifical intelligence) engine based on the Rete pattern matching algorithm. LISA also provides the ability to reason over ordinary CLOS objects

LOG
Is a file extension for log file. It contains a ongoing log of events of a predined action. Like who is logged in etc...

Linmodem
see controllerless modem

Kilobyte
is approximately a thousand bytes (actually, 2 to the 10th power, or decimal 1,024 bytes). Or just over 1000 bytes.

LILO
is the most used Linux Boot Loader for the x86 verison of Linux but GRUB (another bootloader) is gaining popularity and may take the lead. See grub for more boot loader info.

Lindows
is a low-cost commercial Linux-based operating system with a user interface similar to the latest Microsoft Windows operating system. Although Lindows is proprietary and is not open source like Linux, Lindows is less expensive than Windows XP.

Keylogger
is a program that keeps a ongoing log of all your keystrokes on the keyboard. The information is then copied later to a disk or copied out to a network/Internet for retrieval later.

ISP
Internet Service Provider, a company typically providing internet access and/or internet services

KDE
K Desktop Environment (KDE) is an graphical desktop for Unix and Linux machine. Fancy terms for a different looking windowing system.

Kernel
is the center of a computer operating system. The core that provides basic services for all other parts of the operating system.

ISA
Industry Standard Architecture is a standard computer interconnection that is associated with the IBM AT motherboard. It allows 16 bits at a time to flow between the motherboard circuitry and an expansion slot card and its associated device(s). This standard is no longer used in hardware but you may see it in 486 and earilier machines.

ISO files
are actually images of complete CDs compiles as one whole image, just like Norton Ghost does for hard disks and partitions. ISO images can be loaded into several different CD recording software packages to create CDs.

IRC
Internet relay chat. A older system of chatting online using the Internet. These can be more like the wild west days since there is usally little to no direct control or moderation of these.

IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol is a standard protocol for accessing e-mail from your local email server. IMAP (the latest version is IMAP4) is a client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. So your mail is not on your computer, your just reading it from your computer.

IP
Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. When you send or receive data (for example, an e-mail note or a Web page), the message ...

Gunzip
data compression program for Unix and linux

GZ
file extension for a gunziped file which are compressed.

Hub
is a device of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions/computers and is forwarded out in one or more other directions to other computers or devices.

IDS
Short for Intrustion Dectection System, used to determine if someone is trying to break into your computers.

GUI
usually pronounced GOO-ee, is a graphical rather than purely text (DOS like) user interface to a computer.

Gigabyte
is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation. Or just over 1000 Megabytes.

Gimp
Linux graphics or picture editor and creator.

Gnome
(GNU Network Object Model Environment, pronounced gah-NOHM) is a graphical desktop for users Unix and Linux machines.

Grub
A linux bootloader is the first software program that runs when a computer starts. It is responsible for loading and transferring control to the operating system kernel software. The kernel then starts the rest of the operating system.

GHz
is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one thousand million hertz (1,000,000,000 Hz). The gigahertz is used as an indicator of the frequency of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) and microwave EM signals and also, in some computers, to express microprocessor clock speed. Or just over 1000 MHz.

GCC
this is the name of the gnu C++ compiler. This free compiler is frequently used on machines running the UNIX and Linux operating systems.

Gateway
Is the entrance point to another network like the Internet.

FQDN
fully-qualified domain name is that portion of an Internet Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that fully identifies the server program that an Internet request is addressed to. i.e The FQDN for International Business Machines is ibm.com

free software
Software often released under a free license like the General Public License, Lesser General Public License to name a few. The idea behind free software is that everybody should have some basic rights: You can change, modify, copy, redistribute and read the sourcecode. That doesnt mean that free software cannot be charged for (take a look at Redhat...

FTP
File Transfer Protocal a standard protocol, is a simple way to exchange files between computers on a between two local computers or the Internet. FTP transmits information in clear text.

File properties
aspects of a file or directory such as read only, hidden, archieve, encrypted or compressed.

File system
is the way in which files are named and where they are placed logically for storage and retrieval.

Firewall
is a is a piece of software or hardware, located at a network server or router, that protects the information of your network from users from other networks (Internet).

Firewire
is Apple Computer's version of a standard, IEEE 1394, High Performance Serial Bus, for connecting devices to your PC. FireWire provides a single plug-and-socket connection on which up to 63 devices can be attached with data transfer speeds up to 400 Mbps (megabits per second).

FAT32
File Alocation Table 32 bit. Support in Windows 95/98/NT/Win2k/XP, the largest size hard disk that can be supported is two terabytes! However, personal computer users are more likely to take advantage of FAT32 with 5 or 10 gigabyte drives.

Fibre or Fibre optic
refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of light impulses along a glass or plastic wire or fiber. Fiber optic wire carries much more information than conventional copper wire and is far less subject to electromagnetic interference.

EXT3
Extended File System Version 3 Ext3 support the same features as Ext2, but includes also Journaling. A journaling file system uses a separate area called a log or journal. Before metadata changes are actually performed, they are logged to this separate area. The operation is then performed. If the system crashes during the operation, there is enoug...

Elm
was a popular e-mail program for users of Unix or linux based operating systems that runs in a cmd line mode (like reading email in DOS).

Emacs
An alternative text editor available from the command line only.