GLOSSARY

Admintool

A CDE and OpenWindows tool from which you can edit /etc files on a local system.

archive

A copy of files on secondary media, that have been removed from the system because they are no longer active.

Auto_home database

The database that you use to add home directories to the automounter. In SunOS 4.x releases, this database is a file named auto.home.

automounter

Software that automatically mounts a directory when a user changes into it and unmounts the directory when it is no longer in use.

backup schedule

The schedule you establish for a site that determines when you run the ufsdump command on a regular basis at different levels to back up user files and essential file systems.

bang

An exclamation point (!) that acts as a single-character UNIX command or as a separator between the routes of a route-based e-mail address.

boot block

An 8-Kbyte disk block that contains information used during booting: Block numbers point to the location of the /boot program on that disk. The boot block directly follows the disk label.

booting

The process of powering up a system, testing to determine which attached hardware devices are running, and bringing the operating system kernel into memory and operation at the run level specified by the boot command.

cache

A small, fast memory area that holds the most active part of a larger and slower memory.

CDE

Common Desktop Environment. A windowing system based on the Motif graphical user interface.

core file

An image of the state of the software when it failed, used for troubleshooting. The core files can be created by any software, including the operating system kernel.

crash

See hang.

crash dump

A core file image of the operating system kernel that is saved in the swap partition when a system crashes. If crash dumps are enabled, the core image is written from the swap partition to a file.

cylinder group

One or more consecutive disk cylinders that include inode slots for files.

cylinder group map

A bitmap in a UFS file system that stores information about block use and availability within each cylinder. The cylinder group replaces the traditional free list.

daemon

A type of program that, once activated, starts itself and carries out a specific task without any need for user input. Daemons are typically used to handle jobs that have been queued such as printing, mail, and communication.

disc

An optical disc or a CD-ROM.

disk

A hard-disk storage device.

diskette

A nonvolatile storage medium used to store and access data magnetically. SunOS 5.x system software supports 3.5-inch double-sided high-density (DS, HD) diskettes.

diskless client

A system with no local disk drive that relies on an NFS server for the operating system, swap space, file storage, and other basic services.

disk quotas

A mechanism for controlling how much of a file system's resources any individual user can access. Disk quotas are optional and must be configured and administered to be used.

domain

A directory structure for e-mail addressing and network address naming. Within the United States, top-level domains include com for commercial organizations; edu for educational organizations; gov for governmentsl; mil for the military; net for networking organizations; and org for other organizations. Outside the United States, top-level domains designate the country. Subdomains designate the organization and the individual system.

domain addressing

Using a domain address to specify the destination of an e-mail message.

DS, HD

Double-sided, high-density. The type of 3.5-inch diskettes supported by the SunOS 5.x system software.

dump

The process of copying directories onto media (usually tape) for off-line storage by using the ufsdump command. The ufsdump command is an enhanced version of the SunOS 4.x dump command.

e-mail

Electronic mail. A set of programs that transmit mail messages from one system to another, usually over communications lines.

environment variable

A system- or user-defined variable that provides information about the operating environment to the shell.

file system

A hierarchical arrangement of directories and files.

floppy diskette

See diskette.

free list

See cylinder group map.

full backup

A complete, level 0 backup of a file system done by using the ufsdump command.

fully qualified domain name

A domain name that contains all the elements needed to specify where an e-mail message should be delivered. See also domain.

gateway

A system that handles e-mail traffic between different communications networks.

GID

The group identification number used by the system to control access to accounts owned by other users.

Group database

The database that you use to create new group accounts or to modify existing group accounts.

hang

A condition in which a system does not respond to input from the keyboard or mouse.

home directory

The part of the file system that is allocated to an individual user for private files.

Hosts database

The database you use to control network security.

incremental backup

A partial backup of a file system that is performed by using the ufsdump command that includes only those files in the specified file system that have changed since a previous backup at a lower level.

initialization files

The dot files (files prefixed with .) in a user's home directory that set the path, environment variables, windowing environment, and other characteristics to get users up and functioning.

init state

One of the seven initialization states, or run levels, a system can be running in. A system can run in only one init state at a time.

inode

An entry in a predesignated area of a disk that describes where a file is located on that disk, the size of the file, when it was last used, and other identification information.

input variables

The environment variables that CDE's dtsearchpath reads.

IP address

A unique Internet protocol number that identifies each system in a network.

kernel

The master program set of SunOS software that manages all the physical resources of the computer, including file system management, virtual memory, reading and writing files to disks and tapes, scheduling of processes, printing, and communicating over a network.

login name

The name assigned to an individual user that controls access to a system.

manual pages

On-line technical references for each SunOS 5.x command.

metacharacter

A symbol used in file names and extensions to represent another character or string of characters. An asterisk (*) matches any number of characters. A question mark (?) matches a single character.

monitor

The program in the PROM that provides a limited set of commands that can be used before the kernel is available. See PROM.

mount point

A directory in the file system hierarchy where another file system is attached to the hierarchy.

NFS

The default SunOS 5.x distributed file system that provides file sharing among systems. NFS servers can also provide kernels and swap files to diskless clients.

NIS

The SunOS 4.x network information service.

NIS+

The SunOS 5.x network information service.

OpenWindows

A windowing system based on the OPEN LOOK graphical user interface.

parse

To resolve a string of characters or a series of words into component parts to determine their collective meaning. Virtually every program that accepts command input must do some sort of parsing before the commands can be acted on. For example, the sendmail program divides an e-mail address into its component parts to decide where to send the message.

partition

A discrete portion of a disk, configured using the format program. Also referred to as slice.

Passwd database

The database that you use to add, modify, or delete user accounts.

path

The list of directories that are searched to find an executable command.

path name

A list of directory names, separated with slashes (/), that specifies the location of a particular file.

port

A physical connection between a peripheral device (such as a terminal, printer, or modem) and the device controller.

port monitor

A program that continuously watches for requests to log in or requests to access printers or files. The ttymon and listen port monitors are part of the Service Access Facility.

power cycling

Turning the power to a system off and then on again.

preen

To run fsck with the -o p option, which automatically fixes any basic file system inconsistencies normally found when a system halts abruptly without trying to repair more serious errors.

process

A program in operation.

PROM

Programmable read-only memory. A chip containing permanent, nonvolatile memory and a limited set of commands used to test the system and start the boot process.

run level

See init state.

runaway process

A process that progressively uses more and more CPU time.

server

A system that provides network service such as disk storage and file transfer, or a program that provides such a service.

Service Access Facility (SAF)

The part of the system software that is used to register and monitor port activity for modems, terminals, and printers. SAF replaces /etc/getty as a way to control logins.

shell

The command interpreter for a user, specified in the Passwd database. The SunOS 5.x system software supports the Bourne (default), C, and Korn shells.

slice

An alternative name for a partition. See also partition.

spooling directory

A directory where files are stored until they are processed.

spooling space

The amount of space that is allocated on a print server for storing requests in the printer queue.

stand-alone system

A system that has a local disk and can boot without relying on a server.

state flag

A flag in the superblock that the fsck file system check program updates to record the condition of a file system. If a file system state flag is clean, the fsck program is not run on that file system.

superuser

A user who is granted special privileges if the correct password is supplied when logging in as root or using the su command. For example, only the superuser can edit major administrative files in the /etc directory.

swap file

A disk partition or file used to temporarily hold the contents of a memory area until it can be loaded back into memory.

symbolic link

A file that contains a pointer to the name of another file.

system

A computer with a keyboard and terminal. A system can have either local or remote disks, and may have additional peripheral devices such as CD-ROM players, tape drives, diskette drives, and printers.

UFS

UNIX file system. The default disk-based file system for the SunOS 5.x operating system.

UID

User Identification. The user identification number assigned to each login name. UID numbers are used by the system to identify, by number, the owners of files and directories.

user account

An account set up for an individual user in the Passwd database that specifies the user's login name, UID, GID, login directory, and login shell.

user mask

The setting that controls default file permissions that are assigned when a file or directory is created. The umask command controls the user mask settings.

virtual memory

A memory management technique that is used by the operating system for programs that require more space in memory than can be allotted to them. The kernel moves only pages of the program currently needed into memory; unneeded pages remain on the disk.

zombie

A process that has terminated but remains in the process table because its parent process has not sent the proper exit code. Zombie processes do not consume any system resources and are removed from the process table when a system is rebooted.